french onion baked lentils and farro – smitten kitchen

Caramelize your onions: Warmth butter and olive oil in a big, deep saute pan, ideally one which’s ovenproof, over medium warmth. Add the onions, toss to coat them in butter and oil and canopy the pot. Scale back the warmth to medium-low and let the onions slowly steep for 15 to twenty minutes — they don’t want your consideration. You need to begin the stirring course of sooner in the event that they’re browning or sticking to the pan. Uncover the pot, elevate the warmth to medium-high (for now) and stir in salt — I begin with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Cook dinner onions, stirring each jiffy (you may verify much less usually to start with, and must regularly stir later within the course of) till the onions are brown, delicate, and candy, about 20 minutes extra. You’ll need to cut back the warmth to medium as soon as any water the onions emitted has cooked off.

Warmth your oven: To 375°F (190°C).

Assemble casserole: Add garlic to the onions and cook dinner, stirring, one minute. Add sherry, if utilizing, and cook dinner till it disappears. Add the farro and cook dinner for two minutes. Add lentils and 6 cups broth and thyme and produce the combination to a simmer. Season properly with salt and pepper as wanted. In case your pan isn’t ovenproof, switch it at this level to a casserole dish.

Bake the casserole: Cowl the pan and bake, stirring about midway by, till the lentils and farro are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. If all the liquid has absorbed, both on the halfway by level or on the finish, add one other 1/4 to 1/2 cup splash of broth. We’re on the lookout for a risotto-like looseness or gentle “slosh” within the pan. Fish out thyme stems.

To complete: Sprinkle the dish with gruyere and broil till browned on high.

Do forward: The dish retains fantastically within the fridge for 4 to five days; rewarm in a 350-degree oven. You can even put together the lentil and farro base a couple of days early, rewarm it (it can seemingly want extra broth at this level), and broil the cheese on high proper earlier than serving.