BAKED LENTILS WITH BACON AND MARMITE

“Earlier this year, The Guardian revealed Marmite as the secret ingredient used by top English chefs. It’s always been a dependable go-to in my cupboard for adding rich saltiness to soups and sauces.”

Serves 8

EASY

GREAT VALUE Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 55 minutes

brown lentils 500 g streaky bacon 80–100 g, finely chopped onion 1, finely chopped garlic 3 cloves, grated

Marmite 1T boiling water 4 cups tomato sauce ¼ cup brown sugar 1T red wine vinegar 1T olive oil 2T parsley 2 T chopped, plus extra for sprinkling sea salt 1t freshly ground black pepper, to taste olive oil, for drizzling (optional)

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C. Rinse and drain the lentils. Gently cook the bacon in an ovenproof casserole until the fat runs and the bacon starts to crisp. 2 Stir in the onion and cook gently until softened. Stir in the garlic. Meanwhile, stir the Marmite into the boiling water. Taste to check that it’s fullflavoured. If not, add more Marmite.

3 Pour the Marmite into the casserole and add the remaining ingredients. Bring to

a simmer, then cover tightly. 4 Bake for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Check the seasoning. Add a drizzle of olive oil and pepper at the table. Leftovers make a good soup diluted with Marmite or vegetable stock and blended. DAIRY-FREE

WINE: Bosman Adama Red Blend 2018