José Andrés He is one of the most prestigious Spanish chefs in the world. In fact, ‘Time’ magazine twice named him one of the “100 most influential people” of the world. Additionally, the chef is also known for … great humanitarian work that he carries out with his NGO World Central Kitchen, dedicated to helping disadvantaged areas and victims of disasters.
For three decades, José Andrés has resided in USAa country where more than twenty of its restaurants are located. And the chef has managed to conquer the palates of Americans with establishments like Barmini, Jaleo, China Chilcano, Mercado Little Spain, Pepe or Zaytinia, located in New York and Washington DC, among other cities.
José Andrés usually shares some of his featured recipesin addition to revealing the tips that make their cuisine so special and unique. In this sense, the chef is a lover of legumes, which is why he integrates them into many of his dishes.
THE lentils It is one of the Spanish chef’s favorite dishes. And this food has a high content of soluble fiber and nutrients, in addition to helping to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension or cholesterol.
José Andrés’ lentil recipe
For José Andrés, lentils are also a dish that reminds him of his childhood. There are many variations of this popular dish in Spain, but for the Spanish chef, the favorites are those prepared by his mother. “They give a special taste to the house”he explained on one occasion on his social networks.
He first round According to José Andrés, to get the best lentils, you must first cook the legume – preferably brown lentils – with the whole vegetables. In this case, the chef uses whole tomatoes, leek, onion, celery and carrot.
Then, José Andrés separates the vegetables for later mix them with part of the broth. In this way it manages to bulk up the stew and give it a very creamy texture.
Another secret of José Andrés’ mother for preparing this very popular dish in Spain is to fry two sliced onions separately “until they start to caramelize but not too much.” The leader then adds smoked paprika of La Vera.
José Andrés therefore recommends adding this mixture of onion, smoked paprika and olive oil to the pot of lentils when they have boiled for a while, which will bring a flavor that will make the difference in the dish. The chef continues cooking for another half hour.
Then the Spanish cook points out that you need to peel and cut three more carrots and 4 to 5 small potatoes. With the whole vegetables in the pot already tender, José Andrés takes them out, crushes them with a little broth and makes a puree with everything..
Then, the chef advises returning the mash to the pot to thicken it, adding the potatoes and carrots and finishing cooking just when they are tender. “Add salt according to your taste and serve”, specifies the cook, who gives one last tip to best savor the dish: “It’s even better with a little sherry vinegar above”.
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