Ingredients

• a good handful
• chopped unsmoked bacon or pancetta
• 4 medium sized onions
• 3 small carrots
• ½ tsp mild paprika
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ nutmeg
• for grating
• 300g/10oz Puy lentils
• 500ml/1pint stock
• a handful parsley
• knob of butter
• 100g/4oz crème fraîche

Directions

• Cook the bacon or pancetta in a deep pan over a moderate heat to let the fat slowly ooze out . Roughly chop two of the onions and add them to the pan. Cut the carrots into chunks and add to the pan. Cover and let it steam for a few minutes. Add the paprika
• cinnamon
• then grate in ½ of the nutmeg. Add the lentils
• stock and 500ml water
• cover and leave for 30 minutes until the lentils have softened.
• While that is slowly cooking
• slice the remaining two onions and
• in another pan
• cook them very slowly in butter until golden brown. Finish with a grate of nutmeg.
• The last thing to add to the lentils is a handful of chopped parsley. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche and pile the caramelised onions on top.