Lentil pörkölt with bread dumpling casserole

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 300 g lentils (mountain lentils)
• Water
• 2 large onions
• 150 g diced ham
• 2 bell peppers, red
• oil
• 4 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 4 tbsp ketchup
• 400 ml beef stock
• Thyme
• Salt
• pepper
• 2 tbsp butter, cold
• 65 g sour cream
• 65 g crème fraîche
• Chives, for garnishing
• 250 g rolls, stale, dry
• 1 small onion(s)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 250 ml milk
• Salt
• pepper
• Nutmeg, grated
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp parsley, flat, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest period approx. 3 days; Total time approx. 3 days 45 minutes

simple ingredients impressively combined

Place the lentils in a large bowl, cover with water, and let stand for about 3 days, changing the water twice a day. The lentils should sprout very easily. Alternatively, you can also germinate the lentils in a sprouting machine. The rolls for the bread dumpling casserole should ideally be a day old, but older ones will also work, although you may need to use more liquid to ensure they become soft enough. You can also use other white bread instead of rolls. For the bread dumpling casserole, remove the crusts from the rolls, cut them into cubes, and place them in a bowl. Peel and finely chop the onion, and sauté it in 1 tablespoon of butter. Deglaze with milk and season with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Let cool. Whisk the parsley and eggs with the milk and pour over the rolls. Mix everything well. Press the mixture together slightly and let it stand for a few minutes. The mixture should be well moistened – if necessary, warm up a little more milk and add it. Preheat oven to 220 degrees top/bottom heat. Brush ramekins, ovenproof bowls, or cups with the other 1 tablespoon of butter. Loosely pour in the dumpling mixture. Fill a casserole dish with boiling water so that the water comes to a height of about 2 cm and place the ramekins in the dish. Place the dish in the oven and bake the casseroles at 220 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then keep warm, if necessary, until the lentils are cooked. For the pörkölt, peel and finely chop the onions. Wash and trim the bell peppers and dice them, then sauté the bacon and onions in a little oil. Stir in the paprika and ketchup, pour in the stock, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the lentils, paprika, and thyme. Cover and simmer over moderate heat for about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold butter to thicken. Combine the sour cream and crème fraîche. Finely chop the chives. Remove the bread dumpling casseroles from the oven and turn out onto plates. Spoon the pörkölt around them. Place the cream mixture into a piping bag and pipe it over the pörkölt, or simply add a dollop of the mixture to the pörkölt. Sprinkle with chives.