Ingrédients
- 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 25g (1oz) unsalted butter
- 8 pork sausages
- 80g (3oz) smoked lardons
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1 fennel bulb, finely diced
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 large sprig of thyme
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tbsp tomato purée (paste)
- 150ml (5fl oz/⅔ cup) dry vermouth or white wine
- 750ml (25fl oz/3¼ cup) hot chicken stock
- 250g (9½ oz) puy lentils, rinsed
- 200g crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Méthode
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Heat the oil and butter in your wide shallow pot over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for 6–7 minutes, until browned on a couple of sides, turning them once during this time. Using tongs, transfer the browned sausages to a plate and set aside.
- Add the lardons and fennel seeds to the pot and cook for 2 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the onion, carrot and fennel along with the bay leaves and thyme. Cook for another 7 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and mingle, and they caramelized bits that may have stuck to the pot begin to soften.
- Add the garlic, tomato purée (paste) and cook for another 3–4 minutes. Add the vermouth and cook to reduce by half. Add the stock. Add the lentils, 1 tsp salt and some black pepper. It should be fairly soupy at this stage.
- Place the browned sausages in the pot. Bring to the boil, place the lid on and transfer to the oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes more, stirring occasionally. The lentils will have absorbed most of the liquid, but the stew will still be loose and juicy, not stiff.
- Remove from the oven, stir the crème fraîche with the mustard in a small bowl.
- Remove the sausage stew from the oven, dot with the blended crème fraîche and mustard and sprinkle the chopped parsley all over.
