Sausages with braised lentils, mash and poached eggs

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

• Olive oil: 2 tbsp
• Pork and fennel sausages: 4
• Smoked pancetta: 150g/5½oz, diced
• Onion: 1, finely chopped
• Carrot: 1, peeled and diced
• Celery sticks: 2, diced
• Garlic cloves: 3, crushed
• Cooked green or brown lentils: 400g/14oz
• Fresh thyme: small bunch
• Bay leaf: 1
• Red wine: 150ml/¼ pint
• Hot chicken stock: 300ml/½ pint

To Serve

• Chopped fresh chives: 1 tbsp
• Soft mashed potato
• Soft poached eggs: 2

Method

Preparation

1. Heat a large frying pan over high heat.
2. Add sausages and pancetta to the pan.
3. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides.
4. Remove sausages and pancetta from the pan and set aside.

Cooking the Vegetables

1. Reduce heat to medium-low.
2. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the same pan.
3. Sweat the vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.

Adding Lentils and Aromatics

1. Add lentils, thyme, and bay leaf to the pan with the vegetables.
2. Stir to combine.

Creating the Sauce

1. Pour red wine into the pan.
2. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the wine has reduced by half.
3. Add stock and simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes until reduced by half again.

Finishing the Dish

1. Return sausages and pancetta to the pan.
2. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through.

Serving

1. Place a generous spoonful of soft mashed potatoes on each plate.
2. Top the mash with lentils and sausages.
3. Crown each serving with a poached egg.
4. Garnish with fresh chives.