Nigella Lawson’s original recipe for Sausage and Lentils from “Nigella Bites” calls for Italian sausages, but good, fat sausages from your butcher work well too. She also calls for 100 ml red wine, but I’ve replaced that with stock to keep costs down. The lentils can be cooked in advance if you know you’ll be in a rush at dinnertime.

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Serves 4

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500 g dried Puy lentils
• 8 large sausage links
• 100 ml chicken stock
• 50 ml water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• fresh parsley, roughly chopped, to serve

Method

1. Heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan (one that has a lid) over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sprinkle with salt (which helps prevent it from browning) and cook for 10 minutes, or until soft.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the lentils, stir well and then cover generously with cold water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked and most, if not all, of the liquid has been absorbed.
3. When the lentils are nearly ready (or you’re almost to reheat them), heat some olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and brown the sausages. When the sausages are brown on both sides – which will take about 5 minutes – add the stock and water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cover the pan, then cook for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding a little more water if it’s too strong.
4. Place the lentils in a shallow bowl or dish, then cover with the sausages and their sauce. Sprinkle over some flat-leaf parsley to garnish.