Sausages With Creamy Lentils Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the grill. Grill the sausages for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are evenly browned and cooked through.
• Meanwhile, chop the onion, carrots and celery into small pieces. (A food processor can make short work of this.) Heat the sunflower oil in a medium pan. Fry the bacon for 2 minutes, then stir in the chopped vegetables and thyme. Cook over a medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to brown.
• Pour in the stock and simmer for 8 minutes until the carrots are tender. Drain the lentils, then stir into the vegetables. Heat through for a couple of minutes, then season and stir in the créme fraiche or cream. Serve with the grilled sausages.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a pan, cook the sausages until browned, then remove. Tip in remaining oil, onion, garlic and pepper, then cook, about 5 mins more until softened. Add lentils and sausages to the pan with the stock and wine, if using.
• Bring up to the boil, then simmer for 20 mins until lentils have softened and sausages are cooked through. Serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Steps:

• For the lentils:
• Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of the oil into a good-sized saucepan (and one that has a lid that fits) on the heat and when it's warm, add the chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt (which helps prevent its browning) and cook over low to medium heat until soft (about 5 minutes). Add the lentils, stir well and then cover generously with cold water. Bring to the boil, then cover and let simmer gently for 1/2 an hour or so until cooked and most, if not all, the liquid's absorbed. I don't add salt at this stage since the sauce provided by the sausages later (and which will be poured over the lentils) will be pretty salty itself. So, wait and taste. And remember, you can of course cook the lentils in advance.
• Anyway, when either the lentils are nearly ready or you're about to reheat them, put a heavy-based frying pan on the burner, cover with a film of oil and add the bruised garlic. Cook for a few minutes then add and brown the sausages. When the sausages are brown on both sides - which won't take more than 5 minutes or so - throw in the wine and water and let bubble up. Cover the pan, either with a lid or aluminum foil, and cook for about 15 minutes. Using a fork, mash the now-soft garlic into the sauce and taste for seasoning, adding a little more water if it's too strong.
• Remove the lentils to a shallowish bowl or dish (I evacuate the sausages from their cooking pan, plonk the lentils in, then proceed) then cover with the sausages and their garlicky, winey gravy. Sprinkle over some flat-leaf parsley.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat half the oil in a non-stick pan and soften the onion for 5 mins. Stir in the lentils, pour over the stock, then cover and simmer for 25 mins until the lentils are just cooked and most of the liquid has evaporated. If the lentils look dry before they've finished cooking, splash in a little water.
• Meanwhile, put the sausages in a small roasting tin, drizzle with the remaining oil and roast for 25 mins - adding the tomatoes with 8 mins to go and giving the tin a good shake. Season the lentils, then spoon onto plates and top with the sausages, tomatoes and any juices.

Steps:

• Combine water, lentils and onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 15 minutes. Add sliced sausage, and season with cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 5 to 10 more minutes.