Brussels sprouts with bacon and black lentils

Serve this as a side dish to go with roast meats or as a light lunch on its own

Serves 4–6, as a side Ingredients

600g small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, with any rough leaves removed 3tbspn olive oil

2 bay leaves

100g unsmoked bacon cut

into 1cm pieces or lardons 2 shallots, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 250g pack of pre-cooked Beluga lentils or Puy lentils (or cook dried ones in advance)

1 small, unwaxed lemon 30g fresh parsley, roughly chopped with tough stalks removed

Salt and freshly ground black

pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 220˚C/ 425˚F/gas mark 7. Pour 2tbspn of the oil into a large roasting tin with the Brussels sprouts, bay leaves and salt and pepper, then turn it all over so everything is well coated. Roast for 20–25 minutes, depending on size, turning over once during cooking. You want a little char on the leaves, for flavour, so hold your nerve and keep roasting until they’re a little blackened. Discard the bay leaves. As the Brussels sprouts are cooking, warm the remaining

1tbspn of oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and sauté the bacon or lardons until crisp (about five minutes). Lower the heat, add the shallots and sauté until soft, for about five minutes, then add the garlic and lentils, breaking up the lentils and adding a splash of water if necessary. Grate on the zest of the lemon, being careful not to add any of the bitter white pith, then pour on the juice. Add the parsley and roasted sprouts and stir well. Check to see if it needs more seasoning, then serve hot or warm.