Sour lentils (Čočka na kyselo)

Čočka na kyselo — soft lentils in a tangy vinegar sauce topped with a fried egg; a humble, vegetarian Czech classic.

Ingredients

• lentils300 g
• onion1 pcs
• vinegar2 tbsp
• plain flour1 tbsp
• eggs4 pcs
• lard2 tbsp
• bay leaf2 pcs

Method

1. Rinse and boil lentils. Rinse the lentils under cold water, then tip them into a pot with the bay leaves and cover generously with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 20–25 minutes until completely tender — they should be soft all the way through with no chalky centre.
2. Soften the onion. While the lentils cook, melt 1 tbsp of lard in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the finely diced onion for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and soft.
3. Make the roux. Push the onion to one side of the pan, add the remaining lard and stir in the flour. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells nutty and turns a pale golden colour.
4. Build the sauce. Drain the lentils, reserving about 200 ml of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaves, then stir the lentils and reserved liquid into the roux and onion. Add the vinegar, season generously with salt and pepper, and simmer everything together for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens to a loose, creamy consistency.
5. Fry the eggs. Heat a little lard in a clean frying pan over a medium heat and fry the eggs sunny-side up for 2–3 minutes until the whites are fully set but the yolks are still runny.
6. Plate and serve. Spoon the lentils into four bowls and slide a fried egg on top of each portion. Serve straight away while the egg yolk is still soft enough to run into the lentils when broken.

Safety & hygiene Important

• Runny egg yolks. The fried egg on top is traditionally served with a runny yolk. For pregnant women, young children, the elderly or anyone immunocompromised, fry the egg until both the white and the yolk are completely set.