Move over mash! Pair your bangers with lentils for a rich and filling feast with a little kick.
Serves 4
300g green lentils (we got ours from hodmedods.co.uk)
Olive oil
250g bacon lardons
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 bay leaves
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 pork sausages
A splash of cider vinegar
For the salsa verde:
1 small bunch of basil, finely chopped
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 small bunch of mint, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped
1 tbsp cider vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
3-4 anchovy fillets
How to make
1 Rinse the lentils in cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins.
2 To make the salsa verde, place the herbs, garlic and capers in a blender. Add the vinegar, olive oil and anchovies, along with a good pinch of salt and black pepper, blitz to combine. Check the seasoning, adding more if necessary.
3 Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the lardons and fry for about 5 mins, or until crispy and golden. Add the onion, celery, carrots and bay leaves and cook for 10 mins more over a medium–low heat, or until they’re very, very soft but without much colour. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 mins.
4 Add the soaked and drained lentils and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir until they’re well coated with the oil and veg, then add enough cold water to cover the lentils by about 1cm. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 mins, or until tender, topping up with a little more boiling water if necessary.
5 With the lentils cooking, fry the sausages in a little oil for 8–10 mins, or until cooked. Remove from heat.
6 Remove the lentils from the heat and add a splash of vinegar to taste. Check the seasoning. Serve the lentils with the sausages and a big dollop of the salsa verde.
This recipe is taken from Pipers Farm: The Sustainable Meat Cookbook by Abby Allen & Rachel Lovell (Kyle Books). Photography: Matt Austin. The sausages with lentils are just one of the ideas for autumnal recipes featured in our November issue.
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