The Old Vine's recipe for Hampshire pork, sausage and cider casserole with lentils
Celebrate Sausage Week (4 November - 10 November) with this popular dish from the Old Vine in Winchester.
Ingredients (serves six):
3 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
350g lean trimmed Hampshire pork belly (deboned and derinded), diced
480g Hampshire unsmoked bacon, diced
500g Hampshire pork shoulder, diced
5 Hampshire pork & apple sausages
2 large onions, sliced
125g pitted prunes
2 bramley apples, peeled cored and sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tsp fresh sage
2 tsp fresh thyme
750ml dry cider
2 tsp English mustard
4 flat mushrooms, peeled and sliced
75g green lentils
4 juniper berries, crushed
Method:
Gently fry the onions and garlic in 2 tbsp oil for around 10 minutes until very soft but not coloured. Meanwhile in another pan heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the assorted meats in batches over a medium-high heat until they take on a good colour. In a large casserole dish layer the onions, meats, prunes, apples, mushrooms, lentils, herbs and juniper. Mix the cider with the mustard. Pour over the casserole ingredients. Bring to a simmer on the hob then close with a tight-fitting lid and braise in a pre-heated oven for 1.5-2hrs at 160C. Correct the seasoning if necessary. Serve this delicious hearty stew with buttery mashed potatoes and steamed green beans - and a glass of cider or local ale on the side!
The Old Vine will be serving this dish throughout December.