SAUSAGE****Laura Calder's Sausage and Lentils

By Unblond1

Ingredients

• 2 servings
• 3 ounces du Puy lentils
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 onion, peeled - leave both ends on, otherwise it falls apart and you have to pick out each piece
• few sprigs of thyme, tied with a piece of string so you can fish out the stalks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 - 2 shallots, minced
• 1 - 2 tbsp. walnut or hazlenut oil (this contributes much to the flavour, don't be tempted to substitute plain olive oil)
• salt and pepper
• 1 fresh italian or plain pork sausage from Tarini's

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from foodnetwork.ca

Preparation

Step 1

* *Put* the lentils in a saucepan with the stock, onion, bay leaf and thyme. *Bring* to a boil and *simmer* uncovered until cooked al dente, 25 to 35 minutes. When ready to re-heat, drain the lentils and *pluck* out and discard the aromatics.

* *Melt* the butter in a skillet and gently *sauté* the shallots until translucent. *Add* the lentils and reheat. *Add* walnut or hazlenut oil to moisten, and *season* with salt and pepper, tasting until it's right. *Serve* lightly dusted with some Malden salt.

* Meanwhile, bring another pot of water to *boil* for the sausage. *Prick* the sausages with a fork to prevent it from bursting, add it to the boiling water, reduce heat slightly and *cook*, uncovered, until done. This will depend on the type of sausages. When the sausage is done, slice it on the diagonal and serve fanned atop a bed of the lentils with some dijon or coarse-grain dijon on the side.

I made this the first time with a PC honey garlic sausage, which was what I could get at the grocery store. Try a fresh sausage from Tarini's the next time - it's sure to be a vast improvement. Update - 6/10/12 - tried a porketta sausage from Tarini's - again, not enough flavour. Try a sweet or hot italian. We both loved the lentils again though.

Also, the next time I made lentils after this, in another recipe, I cooked them longer in the oil in the frying pan than called for, about 15 minutes in all, and they got very nice and crispy which we both liked, texture-wise.

*NUTRITION:*

* Calories - 340.5
* Fat - 17.1
* Sat Fat - 5.8
* Carbs - 24.5
* Fibre - 6.6
* Protein - 20.4