Description
This one-pan baked sausage & lentils recipe combines hearty pork sausages with flavorful French lentils, sautéed shallots, garlic, and cumin seeds in a savory chicken broth. Baked until the sausages are perfectly browned and the lentils tender, it’s a comforting, saucy, and simple meal requiring minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 eschallots/shallots, peeled, halved, finely sliced (or 1 large onion as a substitute)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 cups puy lentils / French lentils (or green/brown lentils)
- 4 small carrots, peeled, quartered, diced into 8mm / 1/3″ cubes
- 1 tsp kosher salt (cooking salt)
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth/stock
- 8 x 85g / 3oz pork sausages
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan) to prepare for baking the dish.
- Prepare the cooking vessel: Use a metal roasting pan approximately 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 inches). Fold a large sheet of parchment or baking paper in half and cut four 10cm (4 inch) slits to serve as steam vents, or alternatively use foil and tear vents.
- Sauté aromatics: Place the roasting pan directly on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then sauté eschallots and garlic for about 3 minutes until softened. Add cumin seeds and stir for another minute to release their aroma.
- Add lentils and stock: Stir in the dried lentils, diced carrot, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Bring everything to a gentle simmer on the stove.
- Add sausages and cover: Gently place the pork sausages on top of the lentil mixture, taking care not to press them down. Cover the pan with the prepared parchment paper, pressing it gently so it touches the surface of the stock to trap steam.
- Bake the dish: Transfer the pan to the middle shelf of the oven. Bake covered for 25 minutes. Then remove the parchment paper and continue baking uncovered for an additional 20 minutes to brown the sausages.
- Rest the dish: Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld and temperature to stabilize.
- Serve: Plate the sausages with the lentils, which form a rich, saucy base acting as the sauce for the dish. Optionally serve with baby spinach dressed with a simple vinaigrette.
Notes
- If eschallots are unavailable, substitute with one large onion.
- The recipe suggests French or puy lentils for texture, but green or brown lentils can be used as well.
- Cumin seeds are essential for authentic flavor—don’t omit.
- The slits in the parchment paper serve as steam vents during baking.
- Low sodium chicken stock helps control saltiness but adjust seasoning as needed.
