Charred broccoli, lentils and beetroot

Charred food seems to be all the rage right now. Charred (you might say burnt if you were being less pretentious) vegetables in particular are something that I'd barely encountered, at least outside of barbecues, until recently. Whether the trend began as an error by an inattentive chef (a bit like the legend of the origin of tarte tatin), I couldn't say. In any case, aubergines and peppers respond particularly well to this treatment - I made a very moreish baba ghanoush at the weekend whose smokiness was matched only by the kick of garlic.

But brassicas are worth trying too. Bringing a bit of char to broccoli brings out a sweetness in its stems, balanced by a hint of bitterness from the burnt patches on the florets. If you ask me, it's as glamorous as broccoli ever gets.

Incidentally, Puy lentils are the fashionable type, but green or brown lentils are considerably cheaper (I get them in huge bags from my local Asian supermarket) and do perfectly in this recipe - they hold their shape well, as long as they're not too overcooked.

Ingredients

Serves 4

400g green, brown or Puy lentils
2 bay leaves
1 head of broccoli
500g ready cooked beetroot (not in vinegar)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1tbsp fresh thyme, leaves picked from stems
25g/ 1oz flaked almonds

Method

Put the lentils in a large saucepan, cover with water, add the bay leaves and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender.

While the lentils are cooking, cut the end off the broccoli stem and then cut the head of broccoli into small florets, using a sharp knife and following the shape of the florets so that you get whole long-stemmed florets.

Heat a griddle pan and then cover with the florets - you may need to do this in more than one batch, depending on the size of your pan. Griddle over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, turning a couple of times, until the broccoli is charred in places and tender to the point of a knife.

Cut the cooked beetroot into wedges. Stir the olive oil and thyme leaves into the cooked lentils, and season well. Put the lentils into a serving dish or individual bowls, arrange the beetroot wedges on top, then the beetroot on top of that.

Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes, watching them closely, until lightly browned. Sprinkle the almonds over the top. Eat hot, warm or at room temperature.