Cook_s_Country_-_October_2019

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 7

FRANKS AND BEANS. Cassoulet.
Sausage with lentils. These classic
combinations prove that legumes and
pork are a match made in heaven.
But I like the last one best, with the
savory, herby sausage elevating the
earthy fl avor of the tender lentils.
This combination is both refi ned and
homey—exactly what I’m looking for
in a home-cooked meal. I set out to
make a fl avorful version of sausage
and lentils that could be on the table
in less than an hour.
Before I could immerse myself in
the nitty-gritty of the recipe develop-
ment, I had to determine which type
of sausage and which type of lentils
I wanted to use. I love cooking with
lentilles du Puy at home, but their
thicker skins mean that they take
longer to cook than other lentils, and
it’s tricky to cook them just right.
Brown lentils were a much better
choice because they cook faster and
are more forgiving. I decided on sweet
Italian sausage since it is fl avor-packed
and readily available, but hot Italian
sausage could easily be substituted for
a spicier dish.
Many recipes for sausage with
lentils call fi rst for sautéing chopped
onion, carrot, and celery; a few quick
tests showed that I could skip the
celery without missing much. A few
cloves of garlic, fresh rosemary, a bay
leaf, and tomato paste rounded out
the supporting fl avors.
I found that browning the sausage
up front didn’t add much in terms of
fl avor or texture. Instead, I started
the process by crisping a little cubed
pancetta in the skillet before the
vegetables went in; the pancetta added
a salty, savory fl avor that permeated
the dish. One cup of lentils, 3 cups
of broth, and a pound of sausage
rewarded me with a full skillet and
plenty of food for four hungry diners.
A little fresh parsley stirred in at
the end added a bright fl avor and
a burst of color to this simple,
savory meal.

Sausage

with

Lentils

Herby, sweet pork

sausage and earthy

lentils make a perfect

pair. by Alli Berkey

SAUSAGE WITH LENTILS

Serves 4

You can substitute hot Italian sausage

for the sweet sausage and fresh basil for

the parsley, if desired. Buy a 2-ounce

hunk of pancetta from the deli counter,

not the presliced variety.

2 ounces pancetta, cut into

½-inch pieces

1 small onion, chopped fi ne

2 carrots, peeled and chopped fi ne

3 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups chicken broth

1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over

and rinsed

1 bay leaf

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

½ cup fresh parsley leaves

1. Cook pancetta in 12-inch skillet
   over medium heat until fat is rendered
   and pancetta is crispy, about 6 min-
   utes. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and
   rosemary and continue to cook until
   vegetables have softened, about 4 min-
   utes longer. Stir in tomato paste and
   cook for 30 seconds.


2. Stir in broth, lentils, and bay leaf,
   scraping up any browned bits. Nestle
   sausage into lentils and bring to boil.
   Reduce heat to medium-low, cover,
   and simmer until lentils are tender and
   sausage registers at least 160 degrees,
   about 35 minutes.


3. Remove skillet from heat. Trans-
   fer sausage to carving board. Discard
   bay leaf. Stir parsley into lentils and
   season with salt and pepper to taste.
   Slice sausage on bias 1 inch thick and
   place on top of lentils. Serve.
   3. Add the broth, lentils,
   and sausage.

The lentils soak up

meaty flavor from the

pancetta and sausage.

W

EE

KNIG

H

T

EASY