Lentils and chorizo
These lentils are so full of flavour and are ready in the same time it takes to fry a few sausages. Ideally use Spanish chorizo sausages for cooking, which are now widely available. But you can happily substitute with ‘chorizo-style’ sausages or even plain.
Ingredients
- 2–3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 banana shallot, peeled and very finely chopped
- 1 carrot (approximately 120g/4½oz), peeled and very finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- small handful fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves and stems separated, both finely chopped
- 400g tin green or Puy lentils in water (drained weight 240g/8¾oz)
- 4 chorizo sausages for cooking (approximately 240g/8¾oz total)
- 200g/7oz roast peppers from a jar, cut into 1cm/½in wide strips
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 12.5g/½oz fresh mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
- salt
Method
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the shallot, carrot and a big pinch of salt. Cook gently for 5 minutes to soften without colouring.
Stir in the garlic and parsley stems. Cook for 1 minute then add the lentils, including the water from the tin. (If adding cooked lentils from a packet, add 150ml/5fl oz cold water too.) Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a frying pan that the chorizo will snuggly fit in. Cook the sausages for 10 minutes over a medium heat, turning frequently, until the chorizo are firm and lightly browned, with its oils leaching into the pan.
Combine the peppers and any juices with the parsley leaves and 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar in a small bowl.
Check the lentils – they should be loose and flow in the liquid. Add a little water if needed and remove from the heat. Stir in the mint and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar, then spoon into two shallow bowls.
Divide the peppers mixture and chorizo between the bowls. Drizzle liberally with the remaining oil and any cooking oils from the frying pan. Serve immediately.
Christmas
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