Zampone e Lenticchie (Sausage with Lentils)

• 800 g Pork sausage, zampone-style if available
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 1 medium Carrot
• 2 pieces Celery
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 300 g Dried green lentils
• 2 pieces Bay leaves
• 2 medium Tomato, ripe
• 900 ml Chicken stock, hot
• 1 ½ tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper

1. Put the pork sausage in a large pot and cover with cold water by a few centimetres. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook very gently for 75 to 90 minutes until hot through and tender. Keep it at a bare simmer so the casing does not split.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the yellow onion, carrot and celery, and finely chop the garlic. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then cook the chopped vegetables with a pinch of the fine sea salt for 8 to 10 minutes until softened but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Rinse the dried green lentils, then add them to the pan with the bay leaves. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender and the liquid has reduced to a glossy, spoonable sauce.
4. Grate the tomato on the coarse side of a grater into a bowl, discarding the skin, then stir it into the lentils. Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until the tomato is cooked in and the sauce tastes rounded. Season with the remaining fine sea salt and the black pepper.
5. Lift the sausage onto a board and rest for 5 minutes, then slice thickly. Spoon the lentils onto plates and top with the sausage slices. If you like, ladle a few spoonfuls of the sausage cooking liquid into the lentils to loosen and enrich the sauce.

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