New Year Lucky Lentils and Hot Sausages
Rach suggests this family favorite for New Year's Day or New Year's Eve.
Ingredients
- 2 cups French lentils
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3-4 small ribs celery from heart, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes or fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained or 1 large ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
- A couple of pinches of ground cloves
- A pinch of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 pounds hot sausage, a large spiral to roast or links to braise
Preparation
Place the lentils in a pot and cover with the stock and at least 1 inch of water, then add the bay leaves. Bring the lentils to a boil, reduce the heat a bit and cook at a low boil, about 40 minutes, until tender. Drain and remove the bay leaves.
About 10-15 minutes before the lentils finish cooking, place a skillet on the stove and add 2 tablespoons EVOO, two turns of the pan, and heat over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery and onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more. Stir in the tomatoes, then season with the cloves, cinnamon and red pepper flakes. Deglaze the vegetables with white wine and stir in the parsley and lentils. Adjust the salt and pepper.
The sausages can be prepared in two ways. Rachael says, "When I buy a large, thin rope sausage, I coat the casing in a drizzle of EVOO and set the sausage up on top of a rack over a baking sheet. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F and roast the sausage for 20-25 minutes until firm and cooked through."
Alternatively, link sausages can be braised in a skillet. Fill the pan with water to submerge the links by half, about 3/4 inch. Add a drizzle of EVOO to the skillet and place the pan over high heat. Bring the water up to a boil and reduce the heat a bit to medium-high. Cook the water away completely, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. The EVOO will then brown casings up, 2 minutes.
Serve the lentils in shallow bowls topped with sausage.
