Lentil, Sausage and Mushroom Gratin
I use Puy lentils for this recipe — a small, French variety that holds its shape when cooked and is gentler on digestion than common lentils. I pair them with brown mushrooms and a good quality savory sausage, then serve alongside bitter greens like chicory or escarole to balance the richness. Eating lentils on New Year’s Eve is a tradition in many countries, especially France and Italy, where they’re a fixture on the year-end table — often alongside zampone, a stuffed pig’s trotter, and wild mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (225 g) Puy lentils (aka green lentils), rinsed and drained
- 1 lb (450 g) cooked smoked sausage, like kielbasa, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lb (225 g) onions, coarsely chopped
- 2 medium-size garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 lb (340 g) brown mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup (7 g) flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (25 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp dry breadcrumbs
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Preparation
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook it for about 10 minutes or until nicely browned. Transfer sausage to a plate lined with paper towels.
Add onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf to the same saucepan and cook it for 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Add lentils and sausage to the onion mix. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a quick boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes or until lentils are just tender. Taste for salt and pepper. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan and sauté mushrooms for 10 minutes. Stir mushrooms into lentil mixture. Remove bay leaf and discard. Allow mixture to cool slightly. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Pour lentil-mushrooms mix into a well oiled baking dish.
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
Combine parsley, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle it over the lentil mixture. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Place on middle rack and bake it for 25 minutes or until lentils are bubbly and top is crispy brown. Just before serving drizzle some extra olive oil on top. Serve with a bitter greens salad.
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