Lentil Purée à la Conti

Ingredients

• 750 ml lentils, sorted
• 1 litre light consommé (light cooking stock)
• 125 grams breast lard, blanched and cut into dice
• aromatic garnish for dried legumes (standard)
• 250 ml consommé
• butter
• chervil leaves (pluches de cerfeuil)

Instructions

1. Cook the sorted lentils in light consommé with the blanched diced breast lard and the standard aromatic garnish for dried legumes (onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, thyme).
2. Drain the lentils and remove the aromatic garnish. Pound the lentils to a purée, thin it with some of the cooking liquid, and pass through a fine sieve (étamine — cheesecloth or fine strainer).
3. Adjust the consistency with consommé to reach the desired body. Mount au beurre (finish with butter swirled in) at the moment of service, and complete the garnish with chervil leaves.