Lentejas Rápidas con Chorizo
Lentejas Rápidas con Chorizo·(len-TEH-has RAH-pee-das con cho-REE-so)
La Comida Hecha Rápida (The Weeknight Heart)
This is the ultimate manifestation of la cocina de la abuela—food that doesn't try to be fancy, because it doesn't need to be. It smells like woodsmoke, garlic, and earthy comfort. We're trading the terrifying, whistling stovetop pressure cooker of your mother's era for a modern electric one, but we are keeping the two secrets that matter: building a slow, unhurried sofrito, and snapping the potatoes to release their natural thickening starches. No flour, no shortcuts, just fundamentally, aggressively good food that tastes exactly like home.
Before you start
Have your mise en place ready before the chorizo hits the pan.
The cooking process moves quickly once the chorizo fat renders. Make sure your onion, garlic, carrot, and bell pepper are all finely diced and standing by.
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil1 tbsp
- Spanish-style cured chorizo8 oz
- yellow onion1 med
- garlic3 med clove
- carrot1 med
- green bell pepper1/2 med
- tomato purée2 tbsp
- sweet smoked paprika1 tsp
- dried bay leaf1 large
- small brown lentils1 lb
- Yukon Gold potatoes2 med
- low-sodium chicken broth6 cup
- kosher salt1 tsp
- red wine vinegar1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Render the chorizo to build your flavor foundation.
Set your electric pressure cooker to the Sauté setting on medium. Add the olive oil and chorizo coins, letting them sizzle for 2 to 3 minutes until they release their deep red, smoky fat. Remove the chorizo to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving that beautiful red oil in the pot.
- 02
Build the sofrito slowly and deliberately.
Add the diced onion, garlic, carrot, and green bell pepper to the hot chorizo fat. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until the onions are completely translucent, soft, and reduced in volume by half. If you rush this and add liquid before the vegetables caramelize, your stew will taste like dishwater.
- 03
Toast the paprika completely off the heat.
Make a well in the center of the vegetables, add the tomato purée, and cook for 2 minutes until it thickens into a paste. Turn off the pressure cooker's Sauté function completely. Add the smoked paprika and stir vigorously for exactly 15 seconds. If you leave the heat on, the high sugar content of the paprika will burn and turn irreparably bitter.
- 04
Snap the potatoes to naturally thicken the stew.
Add the rinsed lentils, reserved chorizo, and bay leaf to the pot. Instead of slicing the potatoes cleanly, insert a paring knife half an inch into the flesh and twist your wrist to pry and snap off 1-inch, jagged chunks. Toss these rough pieces into the pot. These broken edges will melt under pressure and give the broth a rich, velvety texture without needing a flour slurry.
- 05
Lock it down and cook on high pressure.
Pour in the chicken broth and salt, thoroughly scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any caramelized bits so you don't trigger a burn warning. Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and pressure cook on High for 12 minutes.
- 06
Let the pressure release naturally.
When the timer sounds, do absolutely nothing for 15 minutes. A manual quick release will cause a sudden drop in pressure, making the lentils violently boil and explode into an unappealing mush. After 15 minutes, flip the valve to release any remaining steam and open the lid.
- 07
Finish with acid.
Discard the bay leaf. Give the stew a gentle stir, mashing one or two potato chunks against the side of the pot to thicken the broth even further. Stir in the red wine vinegar to awaken the earthy, smoky flavors, and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with a massive hunk of crusty bread.
Notes
Do not use Mexican chorizo.
Look for hard, Spanish-style cured chorizo in the deli section. Raw Mexican chorizo in a plastic tube is highly acidic ground pork that will entirely disintegrate into greasy crumbles if boiled in a stew.
No overnight soaking required.
Spanish pardina or standard small brown lentils have a relatively delicate structure and thin skin. They will cook fully in the pressure cooker directly from their dried state.
From Cook Spanish in America.