Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
130g packet cubed pancetta
or dried bacon
2 packets Lincolnshire pork, or other good sausages
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 large carrot, chopped into small pieces
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
300g Puy lentils
850ml/1½pts hot chicken stock
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
green winter salad with a mustardy dressing, to serve
Method
Heat the oil in a large casserole or very large sauté pan with a lid. Add the pancetta and sausages and sizzle for 10 minutes, turning the sausages occasionally until nicely browned and sticky. Scoop the sausages out on to a plate.
Add the onions, carrot and garlic to the pancetta and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions soften. Return the sausages to the pan and add the rosemary, lentils, stock, vinegar and tomatoes, then season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly for 5 minutes, then lower the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every so often until the lentils are tender. (It can now be chilled and frozen for up to 1 month.) Check the seasoning, scatter over the parsley and serve from the pan with a winter leaf salad.
