Sweet Onion and Lentil Stew

The other day, my husband and I were watching Nigel Slater's Simple Cooking. On the 'Sugar and Spice' episode, one particular recipe caught my eye. Not usually a big fan of lentils, I was surprised to find myself drooling over this one. I am not sure which particular ingredient that had me salivating the most - the pancetta, and the caramelised onions (I adore onions) - but it was decided that we would have to have this for supper soon.

It was pretty tasty, and the cinnamon and nutmeg didn't overpower anything. The dollop of creme fraiche was a brilliant idea and gave the whole thing a lovely creamy taste. I think it would be the ideal dish to serve to friends stood around a bonfire on Guy Fawkes night. It is filling, and satisfying - perfect winter food.



Nigel Slater's Sweet Onion and Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

• a good handful, chopped unsmoked bacon or pancetta
• 4 medium sized onions (I only used 3 and found this to be more than enough)
• 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

Method:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
   
3. While that is slowly cooking, slice the remaining two onions (I only used 1 here) and, in another pan, cook them very slowly in butter until golden brown. Finish with a grate of nutmeg.
   
4. 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.

Difficulty	Easy
Serves	4
Calories per portion	480 kcal