Caramelized Vegetable Lentil Stew

• 3 cups water, boiled
• ½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
• olive oil, for cooking
• 2 onions, roughly sliced into thin strips or wedges
• 2 star anise
• 1 head garlic, cloves separated, trimmed, smashed, papers removed
• celery, chopped
• 2 red chilies, chopped
• carrots, cut into big chunks
• ¼ cup butter, or more olive oil
• tomato paste, roughly equivalent volume to butter
• flour, roughly equivalent volume to butter
• cognac, or water or stock
• salt, to taste
• 1 lb red lentils, rinsed
• 2 lb waxy potatoes, rinsed and halved
• black pepper, to taste
• smoked paprika, to taste
• thyme, sprigs and leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• orange zest, from 1 orange
• raw garlic, half clove, finely chopped
• celery leaves, finely chopped
• Greek yogurt, or sour cream or creme fraiche
• salt, pinch
• orange juice, from 1 orange
• soy sauce, to taste
• chili flakes, to taste
• frozen peas

Preparation

1. Step 1

   0:18
   Boil a few cups of water in the microwave. Add the dried porcini mushrooms and set aside to steep.
2. Step 2

   0:34
   Heat olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onions, star anise, and the prepared garlic cloves. Stir frequently to brown without burning.
3. Step 3

   1:43
   Add the chopped celery and red chilies. Continue cooking and stirring, deglazing with water as needed to prevent burning and to dissolve the browned bits. Cook the vegetables until deep amber.
4. Step 4

   2:26
   Add the carrot chunks and cook a few minutes longer. Push vegetables aside to make a well in the center. Add the butter, tomato paste, and flour. Stir to disperse the flour, then cook until the mixture begins to brown and smell toasted. Deglaze with cognac (or water/stock), scraping the bottom clean. Turn off heat if needed to avoid flare-up. Add the chopped rehydrated mushrooms, mushroom soaking liquid (leaving behind any sand), and a few pinches of salt. Stir in the rinsed red lentils and halved waxy potatoes. Season with black pepper and smoked paprika. Add enough water or stock to just cover. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Simmer until the carrots and potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes, adding more water if needed to maintain stew consistency. Stir often to prevent sticking.
5. Step 5

   7:24
   While the stew simmers, prepare the garnish: finely chop the orange zest, reserved raw garlic, and celery leaves. Mix with a pinch of salt, pinch of sugar, black pepper, and Greek yogurt (or similar). Set aside to let flavors meld. Cut the orange in half for juicing.
6. Step 6

   8:10
   When vegetables are nearly tender, uncover and simmer to reduce if too watery. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt (including some soy sauce for umami), smoked paprika, black pepper, and chili flakes. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Stir in frozen peas, fresh thyme leaves, and orange juice. Cook just until peas are thawed and heated through.
7. Step 7

   9:12
   Serve the stew hot, topped with a dollop of the yogurt mixture.