Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 Italian sausages
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
- 800 g (1 lb 12 oz) can tomatoes
- 16 juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 dried chilli
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) red wine
- 100 g (3 1/2 oz) green lentils
- extra rosemary, to garnish
Method
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the sausages for 5-10 minutes, browning well all over. Remove the sausages and set aside.
2. Reduce the heat to low, add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, but not browned. Stir in the rosemary, then add the tomatoes and cook gently until the sauce has thickened.
3. Add the juniper berries, nutmeg, bay leaf, chilli, red wine and 400 ml (14 fl oz) water. Bring to the boil, then add the lentils and the cooked sausages. Stir well, cover the saucepan and simmer gently for about 40 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Stir the lentils a few times to prevent them sticking to the base of the pan and add a little more water if you need to cook them for a bit longer. Remove the bay leaf and chilli before serving. Garnish with rosemary.
