A Grape Picker'S Lunch! Sausages And Lentils With Thyme And Wine - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon sunfower oil
8 slices streaky smoked bacon (rashers)
8 large sausages (Such as Toulouse, Beef or Venison)
4 onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
fresh thyme
200 g dry green lentils (Puy)
2 -4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
300 ml good quality beef stock or 300 ml consomme
150 ml red wine, such as Bordeaux
salt
pepper

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large casserole dish such as a Le Creuset or Dutch oven and over a medium heat fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and then add the sausages, brown them on all sides. Remove the sausages.
Add the onion chunks and turn up the heat so that they soften and take on a crispy caramel colour. Put the sausages back into the dish and add the thyme, lentils and garlic, cook for a minute stirring all the time.
Then add the stock or consomme and the wine. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and partially cover with a lid. Simmer for 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the sausages cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then crumble in the crispy bacon just before serving, with a few more fresh thyme leaves.
Allow people to help themselves from the pot in the middle of the table; serve with assorted salads, bread, cheese and a glass or three of wine!
Vive la Vendange!