Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 225g/8oz pancetta or smoked streaky bacon
• diced
• 1 onion
• finely chopped
• 1 carrot
• finely chopped
• 1 stick celery
• finely diced
• 1 leek
• finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp fresh soft thyme leaves
• 4 cloves garlic
• finely chopped
• 25g/1oz dried ceps
• soaked for 30 minutes in 300ml (½ pint) boiling water
• 225g/8oz Puy lentils
• washed
• 375ml/13fl oz red wine
• 600ml/1 pint beef stock
• 8 beef sausages
• 50g/2oz unsalted butter
• 225g/8oz baby spinach leaves
• 4 tbsp fresh flatleaf parsley
• roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the pancetta and cook over a medium heat until it is golden and has released its natural fats.
• Add the onion
• carrot
• celery
• leek
• bay leaves
• thyme and garlic to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes.
• Drain the ceps and squeeze dry
• retaining the soaking liquor.
• Chop the ceps finely and add to the cooked vegetables.
• Stir in the lentils.
• Strain the ceps' soaking liquor through muslin or a fine sieve straight into the lentil pan.
• Add the wine and stock and bring to the boil.
• Meanwhile
• brown the sausages all over in half the butter. Cut them into 2.5cm (1in) pieces and add them to the lentils.
• Cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender.
• Fold in the spinach and parsley and cook until wilted.
• Fold in the remaining butter to enrich and season to taste.
• Serve piping hot.