Cod with Puy Lentils

Puy lentils, a Protected Designation of Origin green lentil variety from the Le Puy region of France owes its distinct character to the terroir within which it grows.

Lentils are part of the Fabaceae or Leguminosae family: legumes, and as such have no place in the paleo diet, yet are tentatively acceptable as part of what I would call a paleo+ diet.

Legumes as a family represent a wide spectrum. When considering food sources, one does need to look at the whole, the big picture - red kidney beans represent the most toxic end of the spectrum, while lentils represent the least toxic. Beyond paleo Archevore author Kurt Harris makes no mention of legumes, in fact, considers them a useful food source although not ideal.

Legumes MUST be prepared by soaking and then pressure cooking. Canned legumes will have already been soaked and then pressure cooked, or super-heated with steam.

While meat, fish and eggs are on the table, why eat off the plate? Well, lentils could be considered an interested texture or flavour boosting protein calories (include the essential amino acids isoleucine and lysine), as well as acting as a ready source of dietary fibre, folate, Vitamin B1 and a number of trace minerals, notably iron.

Puy lentils lend a unique flavour and pleasant texture to all manner of meals, white fish particularly.

Begin by melting some butter in a skillet and softening a chopped onion or shredded leek. Toss in a clove or two of minced garlic.

Pour in a can of Puy lentils.

Enhance the umami flavours with a touch of tomato purée and a good splash of Worcestershire Sauce. Add a little water and let the lentils simmer.

Meanwhile, prepare the fish and potatoes.

Peel some new potatoes and get them boiling in a pan of water.

Line a steamer pan with tin foil and place the fish portions in there. The foil will protect the fish from the fierce steam as well as enabling the fish to be removed to a flat board for easy transference to the plate.

About 6 minutes before the potatoes are expected to be ready, salt the fish, place the lid on the steamer pan and place over the boiling potatoes.

When ready, reduce the liquid in the lentil skillet, remove the fish steamer pan, drain off the potatoes and add in a good knob of butter to coat the potatoes.

Plate up - lentils in the middle, fish placed gently over and surrounded by buttered boiled potatoes. Sprinkle chopped parsley over.

Samphire and Caerphilly Frittata

Frittata is derived from the Italian, "to fry". An egg dish enriched with vegetables and cheese, not dissimilar to a crustless flan. For paleo, the perfect alternative to flan, quiche or even pizza!

Debate continues in the paleosphere around the inclusion of dairy in the diet. I endorse the inclusion!

Caerphilly is a hard white cheese from Wales, the town of Caerphilly no less. Made from cow's milk and with a fat content of around 50%, this cheese has a pleasant sour tang and crumbly texture to perfectly complement the richness of many deep coloured and flavoured free range eggs.

Samphire is a fast-growing green vegetable that grows in proliferation between June and September along clifftops and grassy beach edges around the United Kingdom. Salty in flavour due to its proximity to the sea and with a satisfying crunch, samphire is packed full of good vitamins and a great source of iodine.

Let's put the dish together ...

Hand whisk half a dozen free range eggs gently so that there is still some texture in the mix - just beaten is perfect. Melt some butter in a skillet. Deep flavoured butters from whole milk are best for flavour. Pour in the eggs and move the mix about periodically to keep it from sticking.

Once the eggs have made a soft omelette, toss in the samphire. Season with some pepper - my preference is for just a little white pepper and maybe a touch of cayenne pepper for a little punch. Showering some green Tabasco over at this stage is great for where a good peppery zing is enjoyed. Finally, crumble over some Caerphilly cheese.

By this point, the base of the frittata will be crisp from frying in the skillet. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for a few minutes on a moderate heat, or give it a good blast under a hot grill.

Slide the frittata out onto a chopping board and cut into sections as you would a flan, quiche or pizza. Take a wedge onto each plate and accompany with a light leafy salad, small tomatoes, that kind of thing. Enjoy :)

Frittata is about imagination! Put in whatever it is that you enjoy - think about food that you enjoy that works well with another food you enjoy and put the two together. Frittata may be enjoyed at any time of day for any meal - there are no rules and you can happily make one without cheese if you do not include dairy in your diet.

Baked Cod and Eggs

Baking white fish in tomato sauce is a great way to enjoy a fuller flavour, adding in hot spices for a real punch of flavour. Topping with eggs simply crowns it and makes a great alternative to cheese.

Let's build the dish ...

Make up a tomato sauce in the frying pan by frying off some slices of chorizo, onion and garlic before pouring over a tin of peeled plum or chopped tomatoes. Simmer away until a most of the water has evaporated and you have a thicker sauce.

Make final adjustments to flavour with salt, pepper and chilli.

Lay a couple of cod fillets in an overproof dish. Any firm white fish can be substituted, but there is something so right about wild Atlantic cod.

Pour the tomato sauce over and bake in the oven at 180C for 20-30 minutes.

Just prior to serving, retrieve the dish from the over and make a couple of shallow wells in the tomato. Crack eggs into the wells and return to the oven, dropping the heat to 150C.

The eggs will cook in the heat, so keep an eye on the dish which will be ready to serve once the whites have cooked through.

Splash a little Tabasco over the yolks and serve out.