LENTILS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND SAUSAGE

LENTILS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND SAUSAGE image

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 17

½ oz dried porcini mushrooms
1¼ cups hot water
12 pearl onions
6 oz Spanish (firm) chorizo sausage links (casings removed) or hot links, diced
2 tbsp butter
4 ¼-inch-thick pancetta slices or bacon slices, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1½ cups chopped onions
⅓ cup chopped celery
1½ tbsp minced garlic
4 large fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 cup green or brown lentils
2 tsps tomato paste
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine
8 baby carrots, peeled

Steps:

Combine porcini and 1 ¼ cups hot water in small bowl. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 20 minutes. Drain; reserve porcini and ¾ cup soaking liquid, leaving any sediment behind in bowl. Bring small saucepan of water to boil. Add pearl onions and cook 3 minutes. Drain. Peel onions and reserve. Saute sausage in medium skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta, chopped carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme and bay leaf; saute until vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in lentils and tomato paste. Add broth, wine, carrots, reserved porcini soaking liquid, pearl onions and chorizo. Simmer uncovered until most of liquid is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.