Lentils and Ham

Ingredients

• 6 servings ham bone leftover
• 3 quarts water 
• 2  carrots roughly chopped
• 2  celery stalks roughly chopped
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 2  bay leaves 
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 1 cup onion yellow minced
• 2 teaspoons garlic minced
• 1 pound brown lentils french firm (we used green lentils which cook up a little on the side)
• 5 cups ham broth 
• 6 servings salt 
• 1 Slices ham leftover

Equipment

• bowl
• pot
• sieve

Directions

1. ham stock with ham bone:
2. Put the ham bone and any stray bits of ham into a large, thick-bottomed pot and cover with the water.
3. Add the bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 30 minutes.
4. Add the remaining ham stock ingredients and simmer for at least another 30 minutes, preferably another hour.
5. Strain the ham stock through a fine-meshed sieve and set in a large bowl. Taste and add salt if needed.
6. Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy pot set over medium-high heat.
7. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Don't let the onions brown.
8. Add the garlic and cook another minute, then add the lentils and stir to combine. Cook the lentils, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
9. Add 5 cups of ham stock and bring to a simmer. Cook very gently, you want the broth to barely be bubbling, until the lentils are done. That could be as little as 20 minutes, or as long as 1 hour, depending on how old your lentils are. Expect about 35 minutes.
10. Check and taste the lentils from time to time while they cook. You don't want them to be mushy. When they are done, strain them from the stock (reserve the stock to make soup like split pea soup or ham and white bean soup, or just another batch of these lentils) in a fine meshed sieve.
11. Toss with a little more olive oil and serve with chopped pieces or slices of leftover ham.
12. Serve either hot or at room temperature.