This is adapted from an Olive Magazine recipe, and is simar but even more yummy than our original Sausage and Lentil Stew. Easy one-pot and easily scaled. This recipe is for two people.
- 4 meaty pork sausages
- Dash of olive oil
Brown your sausages in a heavy heat-proof casserole dish over a medium hob. When the sausages are brown all over, removed and put to one side. Add
- 2-3 rashers of smoky bacon, chopped
Brown until crispy. Add
- 1 small red onion, chopped
When soft, add
- 1 garlic clove, crushed and chopped.
After a minute, add a dash of red wine (optional) and reduce by half. Now, here you have a choice. For speed you can now add a tin of cooked lentils, or pre-cook 90g green/brown/Puy lentils in a pressure cooker for four minutes. Alternatively add dried lentils and proceed as follows. Not the timings differ from here on.
- 90g dried lentils (or cooked/tinned)
- 400g tin of cherry tomatoes
- 375ml chicken stock (only if you are using dried lentils)
Add back your browned sausages. Now simmer for 40 minutes if you used dried lentils, or 10 minutes if you used tinned or pre-cooked lentils. Keep an eye on it and if it looks like drying out, add a splash or water or stock. Add
- A generous fistful of spinach leaves.
Carry on cooking until the spinach has wilted. Adjust the seasoning, depending on how salty/spicy your bacon and sausages are. Serve with mash, crusty bread or garlic bread and a simple gremolata sprinkled over.
Gremolata: Mix the following (enough for four or two and some spare)
- Small bunch of parsley leaves, chopped finely
- Grated zest of a lemon
- Half a lemon juiced
- Enough good olive oil to bind it together without swamping