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Lentil-Merguez Stew
This quick and easy but absolutely wonderful recipe calls for a pound of red lentils, 3/4 pound of artichoke hearts (I use commercially-prepared ones that have been grilled and marinated in olive oil), and 10 ounces of raw merguez sausage. It's even easier to make if you don't grind your own spices, but if you have a mortar and pestle, it only takes five minutes or so to pulverize a teaspoon each of cardamom, coriander, cumin and fenugreek. Grate a thumb-sized piece of ginger, mince 4 big garlic cloves and chop a good-sized shallot or two. Saute it all slowly over low heat with 1/3 cup of olive oil with cayenne and black pepper to taste and a couple pinches of saffron.
When it's all nice and loamy, add the lentils, 32 oz. of chicken broth, and a can of whole tomatoes (or several fresh ripe tomatoes if you prefer) whizzed in the blender to make a puree. Add the chopped artichoke hearts. Bring the stew to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover. Slice the merguez into bite-sized pieces and grill it first in a little olive oil, then add it. Stir, cover again, and 45 minutes later it's done.
Couscous or basmati rice are the best things to put it over. Serve with the following two side dishes: Broccoli Rabe and Cracker-Barrel Biscuits.
Chapter Three
...Teddy smiled a secret smile and took a bite of her lentil soup. Limited access to the best ingredients, she thought, was a real test of any cook's mettle. This soup was rich and complex and full of umami, the meatiness and soul that undergirded all the other flavors, sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness. The lentils had a satisfyingly mealy give between the teeth. A hint of cardamom in the broth hinted at duskiness. She had added the artichoke hearts because they had an enzyme that made everything taste sweeter, a different quality of sweetness from sugar, hitting a different part of the tongue. She had added the lamb sausage because it was so good...
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