Quick and easy dinners: Michelle Darmody's saucepan sausage stew with fennel and lentils

Cut up some sausages and stir in some lesser-known cupboard staples, for a simple but sophisticated dish

Sausage stew: simple but sophisticated

The latest in our series of quick and easy dinners from the Examiner archives might push the boat out a little bit, but if you're at a loss as to what to do with any extra lentils, garlic or fennel you have going, this is a simple but solid recipe from Michelle Darmody that can be done in a single saucepan in about 30 minutes.

Veggies and vegans can adjust this to taste with plant-based substitutes, too!

• A dash of rapeseed oil 
• 400g of good quality banger style sausages, chopped into bite size pieces 
• 2 onions, finely chopped 
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 
• 1 medium sized fennel bulb, sliced 
• 2 tsp of fennel seeds, toasted 
• 1 tsp of chilli flakes 
• 200g of puy lentils 
• 300 mls of stock 
• 100 mls of white wine 

Heat your oil in a heavy saucepan, and sauté the onion until completely soft.

Add the sausages and garlic and fry until the sausage pieces have browned all over. Stir in the fennel.

Now add the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, wine, stock and lentils.

Bring to a gentle boil and leave to simmer for about 20 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.

Taste and season.