Lentils with Fruit

Click here to go to printable recipe:  Lentils with Fruit

Finding a completely new variety of products in the New World was not a deterrent for Spanish explorers in the 16th century, but the beginning of the intense trade between continents that characterized the next three hundred years, during colonial times.  Many products from Mexico made their way to European and Asian regions, blustered by merchants as better than what was known: tomatoes conquered Italy; peppers became essential in several cuisines, such as spicy varieties in South Asia, or paprika in Europe; chocolate and vanilla might bring to mind France or Switzerland, but their origin was in ceremonial rituals in Mexico; and so on.  In the other direction, farm animals for riding, meat, and dairy were successfully introduced in the American continent, so were grains like wheat and rice, and produce from Asia and Africa, such as mangos, bananas, and watermelon.

This dish for lentils with fruit comes from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, a very traditional recipe, and a clear example of the results of trading, since hardly has any ingredients native to Mexico.  Lentils were originally from the Middle East, introduced to Spain from North Africa, and then brought to Mexico; and, it is well documented that pigs were one of the first farm animals to be established in the Spanish colonies. 

I spotted the recipe in El Gran Libro de la Cocina Mexicana (Susana Palazuelos, Marylin Tausend, Ignacio Urquiza, editorial Patria, 1999), the same cookbook* I mentioned in a previous post. I saw that the recipe called for smoked pork chops and pineapple amongst the ingredients, which worked perfectly with the smoked ham and broth I prepared in my previous post with leftovers from Canadian Thanksgiving, along with some pineapple slices from the same meal. 

Lentils with Fruit – Lentejas con fruta

Printable recipe:  Lentils with Fruit

Ingredients

1 ½ cups dry lentils OR 2 cans cooked lentils
3 smoked pork chops OR 1 ½ cups smoked ham, chopped
3 slices bacon
¼ lb (125 g) Mexican chorizo
1 plantain (a.k.a. cooking bananas); washed and peeled
3 slices pineapple; fresh or from packed in juice
¼ white onion; peeled
2 cloves garlic; peeled
3 green onions, such as scallions, or knob onions; washed, roots removed, tips trimmed
Water, or broth, as needed
Salt and black pepper, to taste

If using canned lentils, drain liquid and reserve. 

If cooking dry lentils: place lentils in a bowl with water, stirring to rinse, and removing any brush or grit; drain water and repeat a couple times.  Fill with water one more time, and allow lentils to soak for twenty to thirty minutes (photo below, left).  Pour into a colander to drain water (photo below, right):

Transfer lentils to a pot; add four cups of water (or broth), and bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to medium, and cover pot (photo below, left).  Cook for thirty minutes, until the lentils are tender and fully cooked (photo below, right):

Reserve.

Photo below, pineapple slices, garlic cloves, piece of white onion, trimmed green onions, and peeled plantain:

Prep produce:  Cut up pineapple slices into chunks, chop garlic and white onion finely, slice green onions into one-inch (2.5 cm) sections, and slice plantain at a slight diagonal, for oval pieces:

In a large pot over medium heat, if using smoked pork chops, fry for two minutes on each side; transfer to a cutting board, removing bones, and chopping meat.  Reserve.

In the same pot, fry bacon slices over medium heat, turning to brown evenly (photo below, left).  Transfer to paper towels on a plate, then slice into small pieces; reserve.  Drain and discard most of the rendered fat from the pot (photo below, right):

Return pot to the heat, and fry plantain slices in the remaining bacon fat, flipping to brown both sides (photo below, left).  Transfer to paper towels on a plate (photo below, right):

Discard casing from Mexican chorizo, add to the pot, breaking into small chunks with the back of a spoon (photo below, left).  If chorizo is very greasy, remove and discard some of the fat.  Add white and green onions, stirring (photo below, right):

Continue cooking and stirring for a couple of minutes, then add garlic and pineapple chunks (photo below, left).  Stir to incorporate all the ingredients, scraping the bottom of the pot to avoid burning (photo below, right):

Add about half a cup of water, broth, or liquid from cooking lentils, to deglaze the bottom of the pot (photo below, left); scrape bottom with the back of a spoon, to loosen brown bits (photo below, right):

Add lentils, with the rest of their cooking liquid, or if using canned lentils, two to three cups of water or broth (photo below, left).  Add chopped smoked pork chops (or smoked ham, photo below, right):

Stir to incorporate, then add reserved bacon pieces, along with the reserved plantain slices (photo below, left).  Taste, and season with salt (if at all, since the meats are very salty), as well as black pepper, to taste (photo below, right):

Stir and cook for a couple more minutes, until the flavours have melded, and all ingredients are hot:

Serve in bowls, with a nice bread basket on the side:

The inclusion of fruit in this dish might sound like flapdoodle, but the saltiness of the various meat ingredients benefits from the sweetness of the plantain, and the tangy flavour of the pineapple, to achieve a nice balance, complementing the lentils and aromatics, for a wholesome meal:

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* El Gran Libro de la Cocina Mexicana was first printed in English in 1991 under the name “Mexico – The Beautiful Cookbook”, closely followed by the edition in Spanish in 1992.  This wonderful book is composed of a collection of two hundred and fifty recipes from all the corners of Mexico, illustrating the country’s rich history and culture.

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I am bringing my recipe to Full Plate Thursday #665 with Miz Helen @ Miz Helen’s Country Cottage.

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I am also sharing my post at Thursday Favourite Things #633, with Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn, Pam @ An Artful Mom, Katherine @ Katherine’s Corner, Amber @ Follow the Yellow Brick Home, and Linda @ Crafts a la Mode.

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I am joining Fiesta Friday #509  with Angie @ Fiesta Friday, this week co-hosting with Pauline @ Beautiful Voyager.

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I am sharing my recipe at What’s for Dinner? Sunday Link-Up #444 with Helen @ The Lazy Gastronome.