KEY POINTS:
Serves 4
300g brown lentils
2 cloves garlic
Sprig of fresh thyme
1 onion
1 bay leaf
12 duck bratwurst (from gourmet food stores and some supermarkets)
Assorted mushrooms, available packaged at supermarkets and vegetable shops
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sage leaves
1. Place lentils, garlic, thyme, onion and bay in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Check after 20 minutes for tenderness, if ready, drain, discarding the garlic, thyme, onion and bay. Season and keep the lentils warm.
2. Heat a frypan, adding a little olive oil and toss the mushrooms until wilted, season and set aside, keeping warm. In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and cook the sausages over a medium to high heat until cooked through and a dark golden colour, set aside again, keeping warm.
3. In a small saucepan heat 1/2 cup olive oil and when the surface begins to shimmer, drop the sage leaves in, a few at a time removing after 5 seconds with a slotted spoon. Place on paper towels. The oil is now nicely flavoured and can be reused.
4. To serve, plate the lentils first, topping with the mushrooms then sausages and the crispy sage leaves.
