Sausage and Lentil Cassoulet
Recipe type: Main Dish
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
  • 4 pieces hickory smoked bacon
  • bay leaf
  • 1 yellow onion, whole
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cup green lentils, dry
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 6 ounces kielbasa or other smoked garlic sausage, cut on a diagonal into thick slices
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • coarsely chopped fresh chives
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a medium sized pot, combine 5 cups water, whole onion, and bay leaf. Add bacon slices so they are submerged. Cover and bring to a boil, checking occasionally, for 45 minutes.
  2. Transfer bacon to a cutting board and discard onion and bay leaf. Reserve broth in pot. Once bacon has cooled, chop bacon into small pieces.
  3. Add lentils to pot with reserved broth and add additional water (if necessary) so lentils are covered by ½ an inch of liquid. Cook lentils for about 20 minutes, until tender.
  4. Preheat oven to 375.
  5. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron pan (authentically it should be a cassole, but that's okay). Add chopped onion, carrot, celery, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook until vegetables soften. Stir in garlic, sage, and thyme and cook for additional 2-3 minutes. Add bacon and lentils and mix well. Top mixture with sliced sausage.
  6. In a small bowl, melt butter. Soak breadcrumbs in butter for a minute or so, then sprinkle on top of cassoulet.
  7. Cover dish in tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25-30, until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
  8. Remove from oven, top with chives and parsley.
Recipe by Things I Made Today at https://www.thingsimadetoday.com/2013/11/22/sausage-and-lentil-cassoulet/