Ingredients
- 200g dried Puy lentils
- 1 slice smoked streaky bacon
- A sprig of thyme
- 50ml olive oil
- 1 stick of celery, finely diced
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 20ml red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper
1 Cover the lentils generously in cold water, add the bacon and thyme and bring to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until they are soft but not broken up.
2 Meanwhile, gently sweat the diced vegetables in half the olive oil until just cooked; they must still have some bite.
3 Strain the lentils, reserving a little of the water. Remove the bacon and thyme.
4 Add the vegetables to the lentils, along with the rest of the olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper.
5 Reserve until needed. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge. Best served warm.
