Chef Isabel
Cigrons a la Catalana
Cigrons a la Catalana are Catalonia's chickpeas cooked in a dark sofregit, loosened with their own broth, then thickened with almond-garlic picada while pine nuts and raisins give the sweet Catalan note.
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Lentejas Extremeñas con Patatera
Created by
Extremadura's lentils lean on pardinas, pimentón de la Vera, and patatera, the soft potato sausage that melts late into the pot and turns a plain stew into proper cocina de cuchara.
Soups & Stews
Spanish
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
One Pot
20 min
Active Time
1 hr 10 min cook•1 hr 30 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings
Lentejas con patatera are Extremadura's lentils, not just lentils with a sausage thrown in. What makes them theirs is patatera, the soft potato and pimentón sausage of Extremadura, especially at home in Cáceres, where it melts into the pot instead of sitting there in neat slices. Pardina lentils, pimentón de la Vera, a patient sofrito, the slow onion base, and that patatera at the end: that is the dish.
The step that decides it is when the patatera goes in. Build the sofrito low until the onion and pepper turn sweet and the grated tomato cooks down thick, then simmer the lentils gently until tender. Only then do you stir in the skinned patatera, so the potato and paprika dissolve into the broth and make it red, silky, and deep. Boil it hard from the start and you lose the point. You get fat on top and a thinner spoonful.
No patatera where you are? Use a soft cooking chorizo from Spain, skin removed, plus a small cooked potato mashed with pimentón de la Vera and olive oil. It won't have the same earthy softness, and I won't pretend it does, but it will thicken and season the lentils in the honest direction. No hace falta haber pisado España. You need the right pimentón and patience.
These are weekday lentils, cocina de cuchara, spoon food, made for a pot that sits happily on the stove while the table is set. Pésalo, no lo adivines: weigh the lentils, measure the water, and keep the simmer gentle. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Patatera belongs to Extremadura, especially the province of Cáceres and the comarcas around La Vera, where pimentón de la Vera gives the sausage its red color and smoky depth. It came from the matanza, when families stretched precious pork fat and trimmings with cooked potato, garlic, and paprika to make a soft embutido for bread and for pots of legumes. In lentils, that preserving sausage becomes seasoning as much as meat, thickening the broth with potato while the paprika marks the stew as Extremaduran.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
pardina lentils
Quantity
350g
rinsed and picked over
patatera extremeña
Quantity
200g
casing removed
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
50ml
onion
Quantity
1 medium (180g)
finely chopped
Italian green pepper
Quantity
1 (80g)
finely chopped
carrot
Quantity
1 medium (100g)
diced
garlic cloves
Quantity
3 (12g)
minced
ripe tomato
Quantity
1 (150g)
grated, skin discarded
sweet pimentón de la Vera
Quantity
1 teaspoon (3g)
bay leaf
Quantity
1
waxy potato
Quantity
1 medium (250g)
cracked into bite-size chunks
water
Quantity
1.2L, plus more as needed
fine salt
Quantity
6g, divided
plus more to taste
vinagre de Jerez (optional)
Quantity
1 teaspoon
to finish
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| pardina lentilsrinsed and picked over | 350g |
| patatera extremeñacasing removed | 200g |
| extra virgin olive oil | 50ml |
| onionfinely chopped | 1 medium (180g) |
| Italian green pepperfinely chopped | 1 (80g) |
| carrotdiced | 1 medium (100g) |
| garlic clovesminced | 3 (12g) |
| ripe tomatograted, skin discarded | 1 (150g) |
| sweet pimentón de la Vera | 1 teaspoon (3g) |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| waxy potatocracked into bite-size chunks | 1 medium (250g) |
| water | 1.2L, plus more as needed |
| fine saltplus more to taste | 6g, divided |
| vinagre de Jerez (optional)to finish | 1 teaspoon |
Equipment Needed
- •Heavy 4L pot or olla
- •Wooden spoon
- •Box grater for tomato
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the lentils
Rinse the pardina lentils under cold water and pick out any small stones. They do not need soaking; that is why they suit weekday cocina de cuchara, spoon food. Keep the patatera cold until you need it, then split the casing and scrape out the soft filling.
Use pardina lentils if you can. They stay whole, cook quickly, and give the stew body without turning it to paste. - 2
Cook the sofrito
Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, green pepper, carrot, and 2g of the salt, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is dark gold at the edges. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the grated tomato and cook another 8 to 10 minutes, until it thickens and the oil begins to show again. This sofrito, the slow onion base, is where the stew gets its sweetness.
If the tomato in the market is pale and hard, use 120g canned crushed tomato instead. A cooked sofrito forgives that. A raw tomato dish does not. - 3
Bloom the pimentón
Pull the pot off the heat and stir in the pimentón de la Vera for 20 seconds, just until it smells sweet and smoky. Do this off the heat because pimentón burns bitter fast, and bitterness sits in a lentil stew like a bad guest.
- 4
Simmer gently
Add the rinsed lentils, bay leaf, cracked potato, and 1.2L water. Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, then add the remaining 4g salt and continue until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Add a splash of water if the pot looks tight; the lentils should move easily under the spoon.
- 5
Melt the patatera
When the lentils are tender, lower the heat and stir in the skinned patatera in small pieces. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until the sausage softens into the broth and leaves red, glossy streaks of potato, pork, and pimentón. This is the step that decides the dish. Add it too early and boil it hard, and you get fat on top instead of a thick spoonful.
No patatera where you are? Use 120g soft cooking chorizo, skin removed, plus 80g cooked potato mashed with 1 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera and 1 tablespoon olive oil. It tastes more of chorizo and less of patatera, but it thickens the broth in the right direction. - 6
Rest and serve
Take the pot off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and let the lentils rest for 10 minutes. Taste for salt. If the stew feels heavy, add the teaspoon of vinagre de Jerez; it should wake the pot, not make it sour. Serve thick, with bread for the broth. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.
Chef Tips
- •Look for patatera extremeña or chorizo patatero. It should be soft enough to spread, red with pimentón, and a little rough from potato. If it is a firm slicing chorizo, it will season the stew but it will not melt the same way.
- •Pardina lentils are the right everyday choice here. They cook without soaking and hold their skins. Old lentils are another matter; if they stay chalky after an hour, the fault was in the bag, not in your hand.
- •Keep the simmer gentle once the lentils go in. A hard boil breaks the potatoes, roughs up the lentils, and makes the patatera separate instead of disappearing into the broth.
- •These lentils are better after a rest. Make them in the morning for lunch, or the day before, and reheat slowly with a splash of water. The patatera thickens as it sits.
- •A spoon of vinagre de Jerez at the end is not there to make the stew taste of vinegar. It lifts the pork and pimentón, especially if the pot has sat overnight.
Advance Preparation
- •The sofrito can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Rewarm it before adding the lentils, potato, and water.
- •The whole stew keeps well for 3 days. Reheat gently and loosen with water, not stock, so the seasoning you already built stays clear.
- •If freezing, expect the potato pieces to soften. The lentils will still eat well, but the texture is better from the refrigerator than from the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 430g)
Calories
550 calories
Total Fat
23 g
Saturated Fat
6 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
17 g
Cholesterol
20 mg
Sodium
900 mg
Total Carbohydrates
65 g
Dietary Fiber
19 g
Sugars
6 g
Protein
24 g
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