We’re rightly proud of our sausages, and like any great ingredient, sometimes it’s the simplest dish that really shows it off. But, as any good cook will know, the simpler the recipe, the harder the execution. There’s really no where to hide with this one. But trust us, it really is worth it. The peppery lentils, with all the flavours from the vegetables and the bacon, are the perfect base note. Add to that the creamy savoy cabbage, the beautifully sweet onions, and the rich red wine sauce… it’s sausage heaven!
Butchers Sausages with Braised Puy Lentils, Buttered Cabbage and Caramelised Onions
Deceptively simple, this dish brings together peppery lentils flavoured with garlic and bacon, our fabulously versatile sausages and creamy caramalised onions, set off by a tasty red wine jus.
Ingredients
- 8 butchers sausages
- 3 large onions peeled
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 sprig fresh thyme
- 300 g puy lentils rinsed, debris picked out, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
- 3 medium carrots peeled
- 2 medium leeks cleaned
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 shallot halved
- 8 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 3 rashers smoked streaky bacon diced
- 3 sticks celery
- .25 whole cucumber diced
- 2 tbsp chives chopped
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard heaped
- .5 savoy cabbage trimmed and finely shredded
- salt and pepper to season
- .5 bottle good red wine reduce to about 150ml
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- In a small piece of muslin, add half a carrot and half a leek, both roughly chopped, the leaves from one sprig of thyme (pull the stalk backwards through your fingers), the bay leaf, shallot, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 rasher of the bacon. Tie together with twine.
- Strain the lentils, then cover with fresh water. Add the bouquet garni, bring to a slow simmer, then cook for about 10 minutes, until the lentils are tender. About 5 minutes before done, add a few twists of freshly ground salt. Drain the lentils retaining the water.
- Melt 1 tbsp of the butter with 1tbsp olive oil in a heavy pan over a low heat. Finely slice two of the onions and add, then gently sweat until completely soft, tender and coloured. The slower you do this the better result, but aim to take at least 30 minutes (3 hours would be ideal!).
- Simply fry the sausages with the half tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Turn them often, so that they are well coloured all over and cooked through. This should also take about 30 minutes.
- Fry off the bacon in a heavy pan until well coloured and starting to crisp. Finely chop the remaining garlic, and dice the carrots, celery, onion and leek. Add to the pan with the bacon along with the lentils.
- Cook out until the vegetables have sweated out and it's starting to dry out, maybe 10 minutes, then add in the red wine reduction and about 100 ml of the lentil cooking water.
- Continue to cook for another 15 minutes over a medium heat until the liquid has reduced and is starting to thicken slightly and has a nice sheen.
- Stir in the mustard and the herbs, then season to taste.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter in a heavy based saucepan over a low heat. Once melted and starting to foam and colour, add in the cabbage and 4 about 100 ml of water. Bring back to a simmer and cook for approx 5-8 minutes, until tender. Season, and keep warm
- Spoon the lentil stew into the middle of the plate, and top with cabbage and sausages, and then a spoon of the onions. Serve straight away.
Nutrition
Calories: 1368kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 62gFat: 80gSaturated Fat: 28gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 2258mgPotassium: 1539mgFiber: 32gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 10455IUVitamin C: 68mgCalcium: 229mgIron: 11mg
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