Lentils are a great, cost-effective food high in protein and low in carbs. Paired here with some high-quality Italian sausages – or any full-flavoured sausage will do, eg Toulouse – and a tangy sauce, they are a mid-week treat that’s easy on the wallet and a please for the taste-buds.
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Loading...Ingredients
- 6 high-quality sausages (eg Italian style or Toulouse with lots of strong, herby, garlicky flavours)
- 1 sweet white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced.
- 1 heaped teaspoon dijon mustard.
- 100ml vermouth
- 450ml chicken stock
- 300g lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- Small handful of chopped chives.
Instructions
First, cook the lentils. Fry the finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt in a little oil until soft, around 7-10 minutes.
Add the lentils and cover with cold water. Add the bay leaf, season and boil for around 20-25 minutes. Stop the cooking when they are just underdone or they will begin to go mushy.
Next, in a deep frying pan, fry the sausages until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
In the oil left behind by the sausages, fry the garlic for 1-2 minutes, not allowing it to burn.
Add 100ml of vermouth and turn up the heat. Reduce until around a third of the vermouth is left.
Add the chicken stock and the mustard. Mix well and put the sausages into the sauce to cook, adding any resting juices from the meat.
Cook the sausages in the stock for around 25 minutes.
When you are almost ready to serve, heat the lentils through and place into a bowl. Top with 3 sausages. Add some chopped chives to the sauce and pour over the sausages.
Season and serve.
Notes
Normal onion is perfectly usable, or shallots would also be very good. You can thicken the sauce if needed with 1 heaped teaspoon of cornflour mixed in 20ml of water to form a paste. Add more mustard if you want some extra heat.
