Make your holiday buffet sparkle, with an aromatic side dish

Make your holiday buffet sparkle, with an aromatic side dish of black beluga lentils

Lentils, consumed with relish for more than 8000 years in the Mediterranean and near East regions, may be unfamiliar fare for many Americans. Here, you will discover the many virtues of this ’sleeper’ of American cuisine.

Perhaps the most famous historical reference to lentils is found in the Bible, in its first book, Genesis (Gen 25:30 through 25:34), when Esau, son of Isaac, sold his birthright to his brother Jacob, all for a bowl of rosy, red lentils and a chunk of bread. Other references to this ancient food staple occur in the books of Samuel and Ezekiel. The nutritious lentil has never lost its culinary popularity, prepared in a number of ways, appearing on the dinner tables of the common man, nobility and Kings down through the centuries. During Lent, lentils were eaten in lieu of fish by those too poor to buy fish.

With such a history as a recommendation, the lentil deserves to be ‘discovered’ and incorporated into American fusion cooking. let us take a look at the nutritional merits of this inexpensive legume, various black beluga lentil dishes and seasonings and then see how you can use the exotic, black beluga lentil to bring delicious, nutritious, variety to your holiday menus.

While there are more than 50 varieties of lentils cultivated as food, including red, brown and green types, the black lentils are perhaps the most elegant and attractive. This smallest of lentils, the black beluga lentil derives its name from its appearance when cooked, shiny and black, resembling the prized Beluga caviar.

All lentils are nutritional powerhouses, low in fat, while being high in protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates. This makes the humble lentil an almost perfect food for vegetarians, diabetics and anyone who wishes to increase their fiber intake. Lentils are a mild flavored legume, with a distinctly nutty, earthy flavor that is a perfect counterpoint for aromatic and sharper seasonings and ingredients. All lentils have a long shelf life, up to a year, when stored in a cool, dry place.

Before you cook lentils, you will want to rinse them thoroughly in a sieve colander, carefully picking through them to remove tiny stones which may find their way into the bag in packing. Unlike other dried legumes, there is no need to soak them. Lentils cook quickly, so you will want to watch the pot carefully, as overcooking results in a mushy texture. Add the desired amount of salt when they are done, as salt in the water reduces cooking time. Black beluga lentils should be cooked slowly for the best texture.

Much like tofu, black beluga lentils absorb the flavors of other ingredients and seasonings. Look to your local Indian food shops for exotic herb and spice blends which bring out the delicious flavors to perfection. Look also for lentil recipes from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries, abundant in a variety of ways to season lentils in new and interesting ways. In addition, the water used to cook the lentils becomes a flavorful sauce on its own. Due to their mild but earthy flavor, black beluga lentils come into their own with seasonings and other ingredients with a more assertive nature.

A side dish of well seasoned black beluga lentils is sure to be a hit at any dinner or buffet table. they are also great in soups and salads. Online, you will easily find hundreds of lentil recipes and almost as many ingredient and seasoning options.

here is another inspired way to make use of this ‘power’ food. Slice a loaf of crusty French bread, lengthwise. Brush with just a bit of good quality olive oil and rub with garlic. Top it off with a feta or other piquant cheese, a few bits of diced fire roasted red peppers and freshly snipped cilantro. This bruschetta-style dish will wow your guests! This is a good dish that highlights the many virtues of black beluga lentils. Happy holidays to you!