Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed
• 50 g sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
• 7 tablespoons of extra  olive oil
• 250 g Castelluccio lentils
• 450 ml chicken stock
• 2 celery stalks, with leaves , chopped
• Salt and pepper

For the sausages

• 500 g minced pork
• 50 ml strong red wine
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 mild chilli, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• Salt and pepper

Method:

• For the lentils, fry the garlic and the sun-dried tomatoes on the 6 tablespoons of olive oil for a few minutes in a large pan. When the garlic starts to turn pale golden, add the lentils, stock and celery, and cook for 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Cover and warm over a low heat
• Meanwhile, in a medium sized bowl, mix the sausage ingredients together well and season with salt and pepper.
• Take a handful of mince and roll it into a sausage shape, 8 coms long and 3 cm in diameter. Wrap tightly a piece of foil, closing by turning the ends as you would a sweet.
• Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Poach the sausages in the boiling water until they pop up to the surface, about 2-3 minutes. Leave to cool a little, then the off the foil. The poaching should ensure that the sausages hold together.
• Moisten the sausages with the remaining olive oil, then fry or grill (or roast) until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes.
• Add the sausages to the warm lentils, and allow to cook gently together for 5 minutes.
• Eat with bread or, if you like, with a few boiled potatoes.

Recipe by Antonio Carluccio and phot by Alistair Hendy