Brown lentils are first cooked with onion, garlic and bay leaves, then baked in tomato and olive oil. The result is fakes plaki, a hearty, concentrated casserole with tender lentils and a lightly thickened top.
Fakes means lentils in Greek; plaki refers to a way of cooking ingredients in the oven. Fakes plaki is therefore different from the well-known Greek lentil soup: here, there’s less liquid, and the mixture continues to bake into a spoonable dish. The lentils should be tender but not fall apart. Tomato adds acidity and juiciness, while onion, garlic and bay leaves give the dish a savory, aromatic base.
Brown lentils are useful because they hold their shape reasonably well as they cook. Rinse them before using and pick out any small stones. First, cook them in water until nearly tender; they’ll absorb more liquid and flavor in the oven. Lentils that are already completely soft can turn mushy in the baking dish. The exact cooking time depends on how old the lentils are, so taste them after about twenty minutes and check regularly after that.
Softening the onion and garlic in olive oil gives the dish more depth than adding them raw to the tomato. Use a baking dish that holds the lentils, their cooking liquid and the tomato in an even layer. Some of the liquid evaporates as it bakes, making the top firmer. Don’t stir constantly: let the dish cook gently and check toward the end to see whether there’s still enough liquid. If it’s already dry before the lentils are tender, add a splash of hot water.
Stir in the red wine vinegar after baking. Its fresh, sharp taste balances the sweeter tomato and rich olive oil, so add the vinegar at the end and taste to see if you’d like a little more. Don’t have red wine vinegar on hand? A similar amount of red wine vinegar works best, but a mild wine vinegar will also do. It’s best to avoid balsamic vinegar, which makes the flavor sweeter and darker.
Serve the lentils as a main course with crusty bread to soak up the thickened tomato liquid. A simple green salad goes well if you’d like something fresh on the table. Cool leftovers quickly, cover and store them in the refrigerator, then reheat thoroughly within two days. A splash of water can help when reheating: the lentils continue to absorb liquid as they sit.
Preheat the oven to 190 °C. Rinse the lentils and check for small stones.
Put the lentils and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until nearly tender but still firm. Drain, reserving about 250 ml of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion gently for 6–8 minutes, without letting it brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Stir the tomatoes, bay leaves, salt and pepper into the onion and garlic. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Spoon the lentils into a baking dish and mix with the tomato mixture and 200 ml of the reserved cooking liquid. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the liquid has thickened. During baking, add a splash of the remaining cooking liquid if the dish looks dry before the lentils are tender.
Remove the bay leaves and stir in the red wine vinegar. Taste and add a little more salt if needed. Serve warm, with crusty bread if you like.
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