Main course European, French-inspired
Smoked Sausage and Lentils Braised in Apple Juice with Mustard
Meat & fish
Editorially prepared
Smoked sausage with green lentils and vegetables braised in stock and cloudy apple juice. Wholegrain mustard and a little vinegar balance the sweet sauce. Everything cooks in one deep sauté pan.
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Ingredients
4 servings · metric units
Use a larger pan when increasing the servings. Brown the sausage in single-layer batches; allow about 6 extra minutes for each additional batch. The lentils' cooking time does not increase in proportion to the number of servings.
Substitutions
Substitute amounts are adjusted to your selected servings.
- Instead of wholegrain mustardDijon mustard
This gives a smoother sauce and usually a sharper flavour. Start with about half the listed amount of wholegrain mustard, taste, then gradually add more.
- Instead of dried green lentils300 g dried brown lentils
This can replace the green lentils, but is more likely to split and thicken the sauce. Start checking tenderness after 25 minutes of simmering and stir gently.
Shopping for this recipe
Your list uses the selected servings and fridge. Stock quantities are unknown — check you have enough.
Optional ingredients and substitutions
You’ll need
Deep sauté pan with a lid, about 30 cm wide and 4 litres in capacity · Chopping board and knife · Fine sieve · Scales and measuring jug · Wooden or silicone spoon · Tongs and a plate for the browned sausage
Method
0/7 stepsPrepare the ingredients
Sort through the lentils, remove any small stones and rinse in a sieve. Peel the onion, carrot and garlic. Cut the onion, carrot and washed celery into roughly 5 mm dice, and finely chop the garlic. Wash, dry and chop the parsley, then divide it into two portions. Cut the sausage into pieces about 5 cm long. Measure the remaining ingredients.
Prepare the ingredients Brown the sausage
Heat half the olive oil in a deep sauté pan over a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the sausage in a single layer and brown for 5–7 minutes from when it enters the pan, turning with tongs. The casing should have distinct browned patches; cook a little longer if it is still pale. Lower the heat and transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
06:00Brown the sausage Soften the vegetables
Add the remaining olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook over a medium heat for about 8 minutes from adding the vegetables, stirring frequently. The onion should soften and turn translucent, and the carrot should soften slightly around the edges. Lower the heat if the vegetables brown heavily. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute more, until fragrant but not browned.
Soften the vegetables Add the lentils and liquids
Add the lentils, vegetable stock and apple juice. Stir, scraping the browned cooking residue from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat and bring to the boil; this takes about 5 minutes with room-temperature liquids. Continue once bubbles appear across the surface.
Add the lentils and liquids Braise until the lentils are tender
Lower the heat, cover and cook at a gentle simmer for about 35–45 minutes, starting when the lid goes on. Stir halfway through and check the liquid. Add a little water if the lentils are no longer surrounded by liquid. Taste several lentils after about 35 minutes: they should be tender throughout, with no hard centre, but still hold their shape. If they are firm, continue simmering and check every 5 minutes. Before adding the sausage, the lentils must be tender and the mixture moist, with a little sauce.
40:00Braise until the lentils are tender Add the mustard and heat the sausage through
Stir the mustard and apple cider vinegar into the tender lentils. Return the sausage and any juices from the plate, partly submerging the pieces in the sauce. Cook over a low heat for about 8–10 minutes from when gentle bubbling resumes, turning the sausage once. Leave the pan uncovered if the sauce is thin, or cover it if thick. Check the centre of the thickest piece: it should be steaming hot. Continue heating if necessary, adding a little water to prevent the lentils from sticking.
08:00Add the mustard and heat the sausage through Season and serve
Turn off the heat. Stir in half the parsley, taste and season with salt and pepper. The sauce should coat the lentils without being dry; loosen it with a little water if needed. Arrange the sausage on top, scatter over the remaining reserved parsley and serve immediately in the pan on a heatproof trivet.
Season and serve
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Tips
- Do not finely score the sausage. Larger pieces are easier to brown and stay juicy during the final heating.
- The juice should lend gentle apple sweetness rather than a dessert-like flavour. Choose juice with no added sugar, preferably made from tart apples.
- Taste several lentils after about 35 minutes of simmering. If they are still firm, maintain a gentle simmer, top up with water and check every 5 minutes.
- Do not reduce the sauce until dry: the lentils should remain moist and easy to spoon.
Storage
Divide the finished dish between shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Keep for up to 2 days, or freeze after cooling promptly. Defrost in the fridge. Reheat only once, covered, with a splash of water, stirring until both the lentils and the centres of the sausage pieces are steaming hot.
Timing
Hands-on: 43 min · Cooking: 1 hr 15 min
The total allows for tasks done in parallel. The individual times can overlap.
