Lentil Loaf with Mustard Glaze

To make the Lentil Loaf with Mustard Glaze, first rinse the lentils and pour them into a pot filled with unsalted cold water along with the bay leaves 1. Boil the lentils for 30 minutes from when they start boiling, then drain and set aside. In the meantime, also boil the whole red potatoes with their skins, starting with cold water, for about 30-40 minutes from boiling depending on their size 2. Chop the shallot and sauté it in a pan with a drizzle of oil 3.

Add the spinach 4, salt and pepper 5. Once the spinach has wilted 6, drain any excess liquid and let it cool down.

In the meantime, grate the scamorza with a coarse grater and roughly chop the walnuts 7. When the potatoes are cooked, mash them in a bowl with a potato masher 8, then add the lentils 9.

Combine the grated Grana Padano DPO 10, nutmeg 11, and chopped rosemary 12.

Also add the chopped walnuts 13 and half of the grated scamorza cheese 14, then season with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Mix first with a spatula and then with your hands to get a fairly firm mixture, similar to meatball consistency 15.

Now you're ready to assemble the meatloaf. Roll out the puff pastry on a parchment paper sheet, with the long side facing you. Spread the lentil and potato mixture in the middle, being careful not to press it too much onto the pastry 16. Gently flatten it along the central strip and distribute the spinach 17, then add the remaining grated mozzarella cheese 18.

Shape the mixture to cover the filling and form a meatloaf 19. Use a knife to cut strips along the right edge of the dough to create fringes about 1/2 inch wide 20. Now, cover the meatloaf with the left edge of the dough 21.

Overlap the fringes on the right side, slightly crossing them 22. Shape the meatloaf into a crust using your hands to give it as regular a shape as possible 23, and transfer it to a baking dish. In a small bowl, mix the mustard with some extra virgin olive oil 24.

Brush the pastry generously with mustard glaze 25. Add a sprig of rosemary 26 and a grind of pepper, and bake in a preheated static oven at 190°C (375°F) for about 30-35 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, check that it's not getting too dark on the surface; if it is, cover it with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven and let your mustard-glazed lentil meatloaf cool slightly before serving 27!