michelle picker cooks

This hearty lentil dish makes a satisfying meal.

Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and fry some chopped bacon, onion and celery, some chunky pieces of carrot and some finely diced garlic. When the onion is soft add a little red wine vinegar to deglaze. Add the lentils (I used du Puy lentils) and hot water or stock to cover. Cook until the lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, adding more liquid if necessary. Meanwhile, in a separate frypan, cook a few pieces of bacon until quite crisp. Remove them from the pan and allow them to cool. In the remaining bacon fat fry a generous handful of fresh sage leaves until crisp and set aside. When the lentils are nearly soft add some roughly chopped mushrooms and cook for a few minutes more, seasoning to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Crumble the bacon and sage over the top. I served these lentils with Cheesy Leeks à la Oliver and silverbeet (chard) cooked with lemon and walnuts.