How to Cook Braised Lentils With Sausages

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 1 ½ hours

Ingredients needed to make Braised Lentils With Sausages:

• 200 gm small brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 kg sausages
• 8 prosciutto slices
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tomatoes
• Large bunch of fresh sages leaves
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Bouquet garni
• Olive oil, as required

Cooking instructions for Braised Lentils With Sausages:

• Drain the rinsed lentils into a heat-proof casserole and pour in enough water to immerse them completely.
• Place the bouquet garni in the middle of the lentils and squeeze the pulp of the tomatoes into it.
• Drop in the garlic cloves and cook the mixture until it begins to boil.
• Reduce it to a simmer for an hour, adjusting the time on the basis of the type of lentils used; stir the mixture at times while cooking.
• Once the lentils soften but don’t turn mushy yet; add a splash of water and simmer it further if it tends to dry out.
• Discard the bouquet garni as well as the chunks of tomatoes and tip it into a colander to drain out the cooking liquid; set the cooked garlic cloves aside in a small bowl.
• Transfer the cooked lentils into a bowl and drizzle a bout of red wine vinegar into it, followed by 6 tbsp olive oil.
• Toss the lentils thoroughly to coat well with the dressing.
• Pound the reserved garlic into a paste and stir it into the dressed lentil until well mixed; adjust the seasoning and set aside while keeping it warm.
• Meanwhile, grease the rack of a BBQ grill with a lashing of olive oil and heat it over medium-hot fire.
• Arrange the sausages on top and grill for about 15 minutes, while flipping them over from time to time, until they are just cooked and charred nicely; set aside.
• Scatter the sage leaves on top of the hot grill rack and smother them with a drizzling of olive oil.
• Place the prosciutto slices at the other corner of the rack and sear both the ingredients until they turn crispy.
• Pile the lentils onto a large serving plate and top it up with the barbequed sausages.
• Arrange the crispy prosciutto over them and scatter the crisp sage leaves on top.
• Serve warm alongside crusty bread and fiery salsa.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons