Les Lentilles

Lentils belong mainly to the Auvergne – they certainly seem to grow well there, these climbing vetch-like plants with their short, broad pods filled with tiny seeds. The French lentille is very small, like the red ‘Egyptian’ one, not bigger than the head of a nail. The most common variety, known as les lentilles d’Auvergne are a dark greeny-grey colour. However, Le Puy, the capital of Velay in the High Auvergne, has its own variety, the seeds being really tiny and bright, marbled pale and bluey-green. The Ponots, the inhabitants of Le Puy (also the name of this variety), claim theirs are superior to the ‘turques’ of the Auvergne, charging more for them and insisting that their finer flavour comes from growing them in the volcanic soil in the bassin which surrounds this spectacular hill town. Both kinds differ from red lentils by retaining their shape after cooking, not disintegrating into a purée as the Egyptian ones do, and by their distinctive earthy flavour, which is not at all the same. They turn a dull colour while cooking, losing their original green hue. All lentils must be washed carefully before use and any grit or other foreign bodies rejected. Dried lentils do not need soaking before use.