Humble and affordable, legumes, which

celebrate their World Day on February 10

, are a true nutritional and gastronomic gem.

And, among all of them, today, we remain, like Alonso Quijano, with the modest lentils, those that the ingenious gentleman ate on Fridays, according to

Quixote

.

Originally from Asia, they are basic in the

Mediterranean diet

.

With high energy value, they provide proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, folic acid, iron, potassium, calcium ... and help

prevent

cholesterol, anemia and even cardiovascular diseases.

But it is that, in addition to being healthy, they are very tasty.

In Madrid there are a large number of restaurants that pay homage to it, either following the most

traditional

recipe

or designing the most creative one;

using blondes, pardinas, caviar or puy;

putting them in or not soaking them ... And, no, they are not the ones at home, but they do have "made of a mother, a grandmother or an uncle", like those of

La Ancha

, an emblematic house located next to the Congress of Deputies, whose Stewed lentils are more than famous for their creaminess and flavor and have a legion of admirers, politicians included.

Nino Redruello, chef and fourth generation of the La Ancha family, serves them - following the recipe taught by his uncle Benigno - in the two locations in La Ancha (Zorrilla, 7 and Príncipe de Vergara, 204).

Pardinas, with Iberian ham knuckle and presented in an iron pot (10.50 euros), his recipe has some secret, which Nino reveals in this video where he teaches how to prepare perfect lentils.

With chorizo, in Asturianos.

Traditional and "very motherly" are those that the indefatigable doña Julia Bombín makes every week in

Asturianos

(Vallehermoso, 94), temple of spoon dishes (yes, we would eat them all, the fabada, the verdinas, the fabes with clams ...) and good drinking.

Perfect and true to orthodoxy, its lentils with Asturian chorizo ​​are the star of the Thursday menu and a true delight for the senses (14 euros).

Also in

De la Riva

(Cochabamba, 13) they bet on the classic version, in this case that of Obdulia, Antonio Maura's cook and founder, in 1932, together with Paulino de la Riva of this historic food house.

Angel Molina, a recently retired chef from the restaurant, learned the recipe from her, and Miguel Velasco, today in charge of the kitchen, learned from him.

And how they are?

Pardinas, with onion, garlic, green pepper, carrot, ham knuckle, Iberian bacon, chorizo ​​from Tineo, all raw and simmered.

"And, of course, paprika from La Vera and virgin olive oil", adds Velasco.

Available every day -also in the delivery format-, they cost 10.50 euros.

We continue in a traditional key.

In

Hevia

(Serrano, 218) they opt for the pardinas del Bierzo (which they do not soak), seasonal vegetables, chorizo, bacon and blood sausage, and top them with Ibarra piparras with the Eusko Label seal (13.90 euros ).

In addition, for those who want it, the dining room offers the possibility of serving them with fresh foie (18.50 euros).

Topped with chilli, in Hevia.

At

El Puchero

(Padre Damián, 37) the protagonist is home cooking, made with good seasonal products.

And, since we are in the spooning season, Wednesdays are the day of lentils and the great dish of the day.

Of the pardina variety, here they are made stewed with vegetables, chorizo ​​and black pudding (8.90 euros).

Stewed over low heat and with vegetables, they are prepared in

La Cocina de María Luisa

(Jorge Juan, 42), Madrid's temple of mushrooms, black truffles and game.

María Luisa Banzo, in love with vegetables, the season and spooning, signs some lentils that are pure butter and that can be enjoyed at her local in the Salamanca district two days a week (11 euros).

Stewed with vegetables, in La Cocina de María Luisa.

Contemporary food houses also bet on this humble and millenary legume.

For example, the chamberilero

Pristine

(Eduardo Dato, 8), where traditional most traditional recipes (tripe, oxtail ...) and seasonal dishes become the kings of the offer, as the Castilian lentils with its sacraments (12 euros), which are also available at delivery (Mamotreto).

In

El Jardín de Alma

(Arturo Soria, 207) they are offered stewed with little hands and escorted by a tall pairing, two glasses of Veuve Clicquot, within the

Puchero y Champagne

(35 euros)

proposal

that this spectacular orchard has just launched .

Castilian lentils with their sacraments, in Pristino.

More illustrated and highly elaborated versions, such as the one that the Valladolid chef and viticulturist Nicolás Marcos prepares with quail in

Sagrario Traálisis

, new in Madrid's plaza.

In this house in Chamartín (Plaza Valparaíso, 3), a traditional recipe is chosen, with brown lentils and of the year and a very slow cooking.

First, make a broth with an Iberian ham tip and a vegetable sauce;

then the lentil is sautéed and the broth is added.

For the co-star of the dish, she uses oiled quail from Las Landas, which Marcos matures for 15 days.

After cleaning, cook at low temperature for four hours.

Finally, it is finished on the grill, added to the lentils and the result is seasoned with salt and pepper (9.50 euros).

Those served off the menu in

Nuevo Gerardo

(Alberto de Alcocer, 46), from the Oter group,

also carry poultry

, in this case stewed with partridge.

Available in other restaurants of the brand such as Pez Fuego and Vegetables & Embers, they cost 12.50 euros.

Another version "with plus" and already included in the menu is the one proposed in the brand new Michelin star,

Saddle

(Amador de los Ríos, 6).

With Adolfo Santos in charge of the kitchen, they are made with mushroom and foie stew (18 euros, half portion; 29 whole).

With mushrooms and foie, in Saddle.

More

glossy

dishes

: those that Iván Sáez prepares at

Desencaja Bistró

(Paseo de la Habana, 84).

The chef from Madrid has a good hand for legumes, something that is especially noticeable in his recipes with lentils.

Thus, he has cooked them with chanterelles and roasted wood pigeon, with the same bird and pumpkin ... and, now, he has on the menu stewed caviar lentils with boneless trotters (16 euros).

With boneless trotters, in Desencaja Bistro.

Classics and not so much are those that are

sold

in

La Malontina

(Verónica, 4), at least once a week, on the daily menu (15.50 euros).

"We make them traditional, but also in other less common ways. For example, squid black, with curry vegetables, with boletus or any other mushroom and, sometimes, with foie", explains Pablo Fernández, chef and owner of this dining room in the Las Letras neighborhood.

And we close with another Quixote, this one from the national and natural cuisine of La Mancha (Robledillo, Toledo): the unrepeatable, sly and erudite Abraham García.

Almost as mythical as her house,

Viridiana

(Juan de Mena, 14), are her mega-famous and delicious La Sagra lentils with mild curry with red prawns from Levante (25 euros), which are also available in her delivery, Caprichos Compartidos.

Mild curried lentils with red prawns from Levante, in Viridiana.

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