Donal Skehan is a home cook, food writer and television presenter who has written five cookbooks. He presents the TV show Kitchen Hero on RTÉ One in Ireland, Grandma's Boy on FOX International and is a judge on BBC's Junior MasterChef. Check out Donal's facebook, twitter and website and make sure to subscribe to his youtube channel for more culinary tips, recipes and food travels.
This is a comforting dish that will certainly fill you up on a cold evening. If you are a fan of Bangers and Mash, this recipe is probably right up your alley. Spiced lentils and sticky caramelised onions all topped off with amazing lamb sausages and creamy crème fraîche- All good individually but delicious all lovingly placed on one plate!
Serves 8
Ingredients
8oz Puy lentils
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons rapeseed oil
6 Lamb sausages
1 leek, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely diced
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
a good pinch ground cinnamon
1 1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, extra leaves to garnish
4/5 cups crème fraîche
For the Caramelised Onions
knob of butter
2 onions, sliced
Method
- Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water, then place in a pan with 2 1/2 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until ‘al dente’- just tender but still with a little bite.
- Drain in a sieve and spread out on a tray to dry if not using immediately. To make the caramelised onions, melt the butter in a frying pan and cook them very slowly until golden brown and caramelised. Season to taste.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add one tablespoon of the rapeseed oil to the pan, then add the sausages and sauté over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until cooked through and nicely browned, turning regularly.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan and sweat the leek, carrots and celery for about 10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir the smoked paprika, cumin and cinnamon and cook for another minute or so.
- Fold in the cooked lentils and then pour in the chicken stock. Season to taste and simmer for a few minutes until you have a loose sauce and the vegetables are completely tender. Finally stir in the parsley.
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