Anyone have that delicious sausage lentil stew recipe?
Molly
October 8, 2012:
I wanted to comment with a photo so I am using my supernatural powers to append my comment to Molly's original post, rather than including this comment as a "comment". I added Mom's recipe that we all got used to as you were growing up in a "comment", below.
Today, I wanted to make Sausage and Lentil Stew. Before I got the "official" recipe from Mom, I looked at Maggie's entry from Epicurious and cruised around the internet a bit to get some ideas for Sausage and Lentil Stew, paying particular attention to several that used kale.
 |
| Now that's a carrot! |
I chose to work with Hatfield Sweet Italian sausage (sweet Italian used in several internet recipes) and to add some chicken broth (also common to several internet recipes). I cut the sausage into chunks about 1" long and cooked them in the microwave for 10 minutes at 50% power and set them aside.
I added the chicken broth (non-fat, reduced sodium - not to worry, I got the sodium back up later), 32 oz., to the pot and added 6 c. of water to bring the total to 10 c., then started cookin':
Parsnips (from the store; we have never tried to grow these), 3 small, 183 g
Carrot, 276 g after pealing, cleaning, and cutting
Onion, 3 small, 232 g.
Garlic, 6 smallish cloves, 16 g - coulda used more in my view
Lentils, 2 c. - I used green; multicolor would be pretty but I got pretty from the veg this time
Add the sausage in about here
Bay leaf, 2
Potatoes, 3 medium, 382 g
Black peppercorns, some
Celery, 46 g, from the garden, chopped up
Spicy carrot tops, 24 g - don't throw out those beautiful greens from the carrot!
Hot red pepper, 1 small, 3g, chopped fine
Red bell pepper, 55 g - we have had great bell peppers this year and they add great color!
Pepperocini, red and green, cut into rings, 42 g - colorful pepperocini rings are just fun!
Fresh thyme from the herb garden, some
Fresh lovage from the herb garden, some
Tomatoes, everything left form the last picking, 273 g
Salt and pepper to taste
I figured it would take 55 minutes form the time I added the lentils and added the other ingredients in the order given to kind of regulate the cooking time. When we were 10 minutes off done, I added two leaves of kale, chopped, and the handful of parsley shown in the photo, also chopped.
OK, I ain't lyin'; this was good. We ate it with a pan full of steamed broccoli with lemon juice, fresh from the garden. I guess this is just another example of walking out to the garden in October, taking some of what's there, and cooking it up into an end-of-season-pease-porridge with lentils, except this time we included some sausage as well.
Here's our favorite:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lentil-Soup-with-Italian-Sausage-and-Escarole-350257
I should have mentioned that we always make it with red lentils. They tend to fall apart pretty easily, but I like their flavor more than green or brown lentils. Also, I'm pretty sure I cut back on the amount of water - maybe use 4 cups of water/broth total. You can always add more water if you need it, but 8 cups of liquid would make it too watery, I think. Finally, we usually use kale or chard in place of the escarole. The kale is particularly nice because it holds its shape and texture pretty well in the soup. You do need to cook it for longer after the greens are added if you use kale.
ReplyDeleteHere is the "official" recipe that Mom dug out for me today since I was making it:
ReplyDelete1 lb fresh pork sausage
2 medium parsnips, chunked
2 medium potatoes, chunked
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c. lentils
5 t. salt (maybe a little less)
1/2 t. marjoram
1 16 oz. can tomatoes with green chiles
Cook sausage. I use the microwave but it can be browned in a pan.
Drain and cut into chunks
Add 1/4 c. of sausage drippings (or use vegetable oil) to stew pot, heat and add parsnips, potatoes, onions, and garlic.
Cook 10 minutes
Stir in lentils, salt, and marjoram and add 10 C. hot water
Heat to boiling and simmer 25 - 30 minutes (until elntils are cooked)
Add tomatoes and sausage, heat through, and serve
I usually use more garlic than this.
I usually use oil to cook the veggies and then wind up putting the sausage drippings in but it would probably be better to drain the sausage as the directions say.
I usually put the sausage in after I add the water; I don't wait until the end.
Use somewhat less water (maybe 2/3 c.) to make a thicker stew.
I wanted to comment with a photo so I used my supernatural powers to append my comment to Molly's original post, rather than including this comment as a "comment". Go to the original post to see my comment on tonight's dinner.
ReplyDeleteLooks tasty, I'll have to give it a try some winter-y evening here, which hopefully comes soon. We used to serve a killer lamb and parsnip stew at the cookhouse. It was pretty amazing, but taken off cause it was too good I think (sorry thats my own little cookhouse burn). I would imagine that parsnips would do alright as a late fall crop in PA, and they are so tasty, were it me, I would try them.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I just canned 4 quarts of applesauce ( a lot for my little, limited kitchen). I think that was my first self-motivated canning session, lots to learn. Also the sauerkraut is coming out real good. One of these days I'm going to splurge for a good corned beef.
Andy
Well, today in Pennsylvania, the weather got hit with the ugly stick - gray, light rain, cold, gray, wet, slippery, gray... Lentils sounded good and the day was made for stew, so another session with this recipe:
ReplyDeleteNot much left in the garden; I did manage some sprigs of marjoram and fennel but that's about it. Vegetables are all pretty much store bought. Quantities were determined by home much it took to use up the old packages in the case of carrots and celery. I recorded quantities as I worked, listed below. It tasted great and really complimented the weather. As before, served it up with fresh broc with lemon, this time also from the store. We keep getting really great fresh broc all year round, presumably from California.
1 lb sausage - I used Leidy's Pa Dutch this time
1 can chicken broth (14 1/2 oz is what I had)
8 cup water to bring the total to 10 c
Marjoram and Fennel sprigs from the herb garden
2 lg parsnips - 358 g
3 smallish carrots - 125 g
The rest of a head of celery - 248 g
2 Onions - 222 g
3 small to med potatoes - 391 g
4 cloves garlic
1 lb green lentils
1 can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
Mustard
Bay leaf
Crushed red pepper
Salt and Pepper
So, similar but not identical - depends upon what's on hand. Always great eating.
Andy, good luck with lentils in Leadville. Remember I tried to make lentils and rice when I was out and it basically was not very good? You blamed the lentils but I've always suspected that you might need a pressure cooker for good lentils in Leadville.
Just a quick follow up: We have had sausage and lentil stew a couple of time recently, including last night. There is nothing from the garden at this time of year, of course, and I was starting with Mom's original recipe, so no chicken broth. I have been using Leidy's PA Dutch style sausage. For seasoning (in addition to garlic, some dried red pepper, dash of mustard, etc.) I used marjoram and fennel seed. The fennel seed is really good and adds a lot to the recipe. Give it a try next time you make this.
ReplyDeleteHere is another take on sausage and lentils from the other day. I wanted to make something to share with Kanga and these days she objects to potatoes in anything (really???) so I was just winging it. Came out pretty good; just proves you can do just about anything with this recipe concept.
ReplyDelete8 c. water
8 oz sausage, Hatfield PA Dutch style this time
2 small to med onions, chopped
Carrots - they were skinny so I used 3
Celery - lots, using up what we had
1 c. green lentils
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 can hominy
Garlic - some, as usual
2 bay leaves
Pink peppercorns - some, maybe 6?
White peppercorns - same again
1 juniper berry
1/2 t. Zahtar
1/2 t. ground mustard
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. coriander
Dried red pepper - just a little, not enough to make it hot
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Frozen parsley from the garden - a big handful
1/4 c. red lentils to thicken it at the end