Spanish lentil and potato stew

Peel and cut the potatoes into 2 centimeter bite-sized pieces.

Finely chop the onion, roughly chop four cloves of garlic and cut two 2 centimeter slices from a baguette.

Rinse the dried lentils in a fine sieve under water; they need no soaking.

Heat a stock pot over medium heat with the extra virgin olive oil, then add the baguette slices and four peeled whole garlic cloves.

Cook 3 to 4 minutes until golden fried all around, then move to a mortar and set aside.

In the same pot at the same heat, add the chopped onion and chopped garlic and stir continuously 3 to 4 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add the smoked paprika and the ground cumin and mix quickly so they are evenly distributed.

Add the tomato sauce, mix, and simmer a few minutes without stirring until slightly thickened.

Add the chopped potatoes, the rinsed lentils and the vegetable broth.

Add the bay leaf, turn to high heat and mix gently.

Once it boils, lid the pot, lower to low heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are just cooked through.

Pound the fried baguette and garlic with the chopped parsley and a pinch of sea salt in the mortar until it forms a paste.

Stir the bread and garlic paste into the stew and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Serve in a shallow bowl and garnish with fresh parsley.