A GRAPE PICKER'S LUNCH! SAUSAGES AND LENTILS WITH THYME AND WINE
I am lucky enough to live in the Cognac and Pineau grape growing area of South West France - we also grow grapes for the excellent local (Charente-Maritime) wine in this area. Our woodman, Monsieur Jacquot, has a small chateau with several vineyards, and every year we are invited to join in on the first or last day of the "Vendange" - the grape harvest. And, every year, Madame Jacquot prepares and cooks the most delicious food for all of the grape pickers, family and invited friends. This year (2009) the harvest started on the 1st October, and this is the dish she made for us, served simply with fresh salads, assorted local breads, local butter, cheese and of course local wine, pineau and cognac. I asked her for the recipe and she rattled out the ingredients at a rapid pace, whilst I scribbled them down on the back of an envelope! I have recreated this recipe at home twice now, and this is ALMOST as good as hers is! (Mind you, she set hers out on long tables with white linen and beautiful old vintage crockery.......I found out that the white linen were bed sheets! NEVER used on a bed she stressed, kept for large gatherings.) The key to this recipe is SIMPLICITY and GOOD sausages and wine. I used local Toulouse sausages, meaty and with a high 85% meat content. But you can use ANY good, meaty sausages that you have available locally - I bet high quality venison or Angus beef sausages would be brilliant in this dish. Also, DO try to source "Lentilles Vert de Puy" - green Puy lentils; they make all the difference to this wonderful harvest dish. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did, sitting at the long table in the old barn, under ancient beams and with beaming faces and loud laughter. ( PS: I cut this recipe RIGHT back from 30 people to just 4! Please adjust the amounts to suit.)
Provided by French Tart
Categories Stew
Time 1h
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a large casserole dish such as a Le Creuset or Dutch oven and over a medium heat fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and then add the sausages, brown them on all sides. Remove the sausages.
- Add the onion chunks and turn up the heat so that they soften and take on a crispy caramel colour. Put the sausages back into the dish and add the thyme, lentils and garlic, cook for a minute stirring all the time.
- Then add the stock or consommé and the wine. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and partially cover with a lid. Simmer for 35 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the sausages cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then crumble in the crispy bacon just before serving, with a few more fresh thyme leaves.
- Allow people to help themselves from the pot in the middle of the table; serve with assorted salads, bread, cheese and a glass or three of wine!
- Vive la Vendange!
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[email protected]This is a great recipe for a cold winter night. It's hearty and filling, and the flavors are warm and comforting.
Laila Wilson
[email protected]I've made this dish several times and it's always a hit! It's so easy to make and the flavors are amazing. I highly recommend it.
Lawe Tareq
[email protected]This is a great recipe for a party. It's easy to make ahead of time and it can be served hot or cold.
Foysal Hossain 2323
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of lentils, but I really enjoyed this dish. The sausages and wine add a lot of flavor. I'll definitely be making this again.
Majid ali Channa
[email protected]This is a great recipe for a weeknight meal. It's quick and easy to make, and it's always a hit with my family.
Angel Osei Kye
[email protected]I made this in a slow cooker and it turned out great! I just threw all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cooked it on low for 8 hours.
Malik Barrow
[email protected]I served this with a side of mashed potatoes and it was perfect!
Bhuvan Lama
[email protected]This dish is very easy to make, but it looks and tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant.
T Mcduff
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of thyme, so I used rosemary instead. It was still very good.
Dani Greiner
[email protected]I made this for a potluck and it was a huge success! Everyone loved it.
sp Joker
[email protected]This is a great recipe for a cold winter night. It's hearty and filling, and the flavors are warm and comforting.
Mmili Nebeolisa
[email protected]I'm a vegetarian, so I used veggie sausages instead of pork sausages. It was still delicious!
Diane Oliveira
[email protected]I've made this dish several times and it's always a hit! It's so easy to make and the flavors are amazing. I highly recommend it.
Charity Ross
[email protected]This dish was a bit bland for my taste. I think I'll add some more spices next time.
Stef Yopp
[email protected]I added some chopped carrots and celery to the dish and it was even better! I also used a dry white wine instead of red and it worked well.
XPerglowX
[email protected]I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great! The sausages were cooked perfectly and the lentils were tender and flavorful. I served it with a side of roasted vegetables and it was a hit.
SUNDAY IMO
[email protected]This was a bit too salty for my taste. I think I'll use less salt next time.
Steve Dempsey
[email protected]I'm not a big fan of lentils, but I really enjoyed this dish. The sausages and wine add a lot of flavor. I'll definitely be making this again.
Kashif Anjum
[email protected]I made this for my family and they loved it! It's a great recipe for a weeknight meal.
Amar Qayyum
[email protected]This was a delicious and hearty dish! The combination of sausages, lentils, thyme, and wine was perfect. I loved the way the flavors all came together.