Lentils with Bacon

I know the picture above is unappetizing, but such is the fate of lentils. Delicious, but ugly. I started off inspired by a Spanish tapas dish involving lentils, bacon and sausage, but then got sidetracked by something I saw Jamie Oliver do on his recent TV episode in the Pyrenees. So it's a mishmash of two things, and while it was tasty warm, it also made for very nice cold salads the next day.

Lentils with Bacon

Ingredients

500g green lentils
1 carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 small onion, diced
250g bacon, diced (I used the super lean bacon in a nod to being healthy)
1 liter duck stock (I'm sure water would be fine, I just used this because I had some)
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper
olive oil

Method

Sweat onion, carrot and celery in some olive oil for a few minutes. Add bacon and stir, cooking for a few more minutes until bacon is cooked through. Add lentils, bay leaf, thyme and enough stock to cover the mixture by at least an inch. If you don't have enough stock, add water. Simmer over low/medium heat for 45 minutes. Taste the lentils to make sure they are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain everything in a colander and reserve liquid. The liquid can be used in soups in the future.  Serve lentils warm or cold.