Beluga lentils with fried chicory, carrots and potatoes

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 250 g beluga lentils
• 2 onions
• 4 chicory
• 4 carrots
• 600 g potatoes
• 80 ml rapeseed oil
• 800 ml vegetable stock
• 1 clove(s) garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 20 g Himalayan salt
• 5 g sweet paprika powder
• 5 g black pepper from the mill

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Wash the potatoes and cook them with their skins on in salted water. Drain and set aside. Peel the onions and garlic. Finely dice the onions, press the garlic, and set aside. Peel the carrots, halve them lengthwise, and discard the ends. Halve the chicory lengthwise and remove the 4 outer leaves. Wash the chicory and drain well. Heat 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil in a saucepan, sauté the onions until translucent, add the beluga lentils, and continue frying briefly. Pour in the vegetable stock, add the bay leaf and crushed garlic, and simmer over moderate heat, adding more liquid if necessary during cooking. When the lentils are tender after about 45 minutes, season with balsamic vinegar, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Note: Add salt to the lentils at the end, otherwise they won’t soften properly. In the meantime, peel and slice the potatoes. Heat a pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil, and fry the potato slices until light golden, turning gently. Season with salt, ground paprika, and freshly ground pepper. Add the remaining diced onion and fry briefly until the onions are lightly browned. Season the carrots with salt and pepper and fry them slowly in another pan with a little oil, turning occasionally. Season the chicory halves on both sides with ground paprika, salt, and freshly ground pepper. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and fry the chicory well on both sides. Arrange all components appetizingly on plates. Tip: A Beaujolais wine goes well with this!