Servings:

for 4

Level of difficulty:

Easy

Ingredients

11/2lb piece of collar or forehock of bacon, 6oz orange lentils, 3/4lb small onions, 3/4lb carrots,3 celery sticks, 1/2 teaspoon made mustard, pepper to taste,1 pint of chicken stock

Method

soak the bacon and lentils in a separate bowl overnight. Next day drain bacon and lentils, discard rind and cut bacon into neat pieces. Put both in a large stewpot and add carrots, whole or halves depending how big you want them, onions, celery sticks cut into chunks together with mustard,pepper and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for two hours. Just before the two hours are up make dumplings with plain flour suet and salt, add water not too much, till a good binding mix then add drops of this mix to hotpot after stirring and serve after 20 min. Gorgeous, heartwarming. This is the original recipe but of course with any casserole etc, I just add what vegetables I think the family could manage. I now don't soak the lentils and sometimes not the bacon. I also add dried or fresh herbs to the dumplings. The lentils take in all the flavours and produce the most moreish gravy and is great being mopped up with fresh bread, if you've got enough room! Bon A