Mujaddara

Method

1. Pick over 80 g of brown lentils and rinse them under cold water. Put them in a small saucepan with 400 ml of water, bring to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15-18 minutes, until tender but still holding their shape. Drain through a sieve set over a bowl and keep the cooking liquid.
2. While the lentils cook, halve 1 large onion and slice it into thin half-moons. Heat 1.5 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy frying pan or wide saucepan over medium heat, add the onion with a pinch of the salt and fry for 18-20 minutes, stirring often, until the slices collapse and turn a deep mahogany brown with crisp edges. Do not rush this on high heat or they will taste bitter.
3. Lift out roughly half the onions with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper to crisp up for the garnish, leaving the rest and all the oil in the pan.