Recipe: sausage, lentil and apple bake by Rosie Reynolds

Sausage, lentil and apple bake recipe by Rosie Reynolds

Recipe from The Shortcut Cook All in One by Rosie Reynolds

(Image credit: Clare Winfield)

published 9 May 2023

This is a great all-year-round dish, says Rosie Reynolds: the apples and cider make it beautiful and warming for autumn and winter, but it’s bright enough for spring and summer – when it’s best served with a hearty green salad containing plenty of fennel and more apple. Even if you are only cooking for one or two people, I urge you to make this, as the leftovers are even better.

Ingredients: serves four

2 small onions, cut into wedges through the root
½ tsp chilli (hot pepper) flakes
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for rubbing
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 good-quality sausages (pork or chicken work well)
1 stock cube in 200ml boiling water
200ml cider or apple juice
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 apple, cored and sliced
250g pouch ready-to-eat Puy lentils
1-2 tsp cider vinegar, to taste
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)

The Shortcuts: I use a pouch of ready-to-eat lentils, as these are a lifesaver for hearty meals like this when you just don’t have the time or inclination to cook dried lentils. Adding a splash of cider vinegar to apple recipes really brings out their delicious fruity flavour.
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan (425°F/gas 7).
Add the onion wedges and chilli flakes to a 30cm x 20cm x 5cm baking tray (pan), drizzle over the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Sit the sausages on top, rubbing each one with a little olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes until golden on top.
Meanwhile, in a measuring jug, dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water. Add the cider and both of the mustards and stir together to combine.
Remove the sausage and onion tray from the oven, turn the sausages over and prick with a fork, then return them to their original position (golden-side up). Pour in the stock and cider mixture, add the sliced apple and lentils, give it a gentle stir to combine and cook for a further 25 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and add a little cider vinegar to brighten and bring out the apple flavour. Scatter with chopped parsley before serving, if you like.