A sausage, cabbage and lentil tray bake to brighten the dark days of January

Recipe: Red-cabbage and sausage tray bake with puy lentils and balsamic glaze

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 small red cabbage, cut into thick wedges (leave the core intact to hold the wedges together)
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 12 sausages (pork, chicken or plant-based)
• 2 apples, cored and sliced into wedges — I used Braeburn
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• A good splash of olive oil
• 1tspn smoked paprika
• ½tspn chilli flakes (for modest heat)

For the glaze

• 4tbspn balsamic vinegar
• 3tbspn honey or maple syrup
• 2tspn Dijon mustard
• 250g cooked green or Puy lentils (I used a sachet of the two combined)
• A handful of toasted walnuts (optional)
• A handful of fresh parsley

Method

1) Preheat your oven to 180˚C fan/200˚C/400˚F/gas mark 6.

2) Arrange the red cabbage and onion wedges, sausages, apple slices and thyme on a large baking tray. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle the smoked paprika and chilli flakes. Season and toss gently to coat everything evenly.

3) In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey and Dijon mustard. Drizzle half of the glaze over the ingredients on the tray, reserving the rest for the end.

4) Roast for 30 minutes and then remove from the oven to turn the sausages. Pour the remaining glaze over them and spoon in the cooked lentils. Return to the oven for a further 12 minutes or until the sausages are cooked through and browned.

5) Remove the tray from the oven and scatter over the toasted walnuts (if using), together with fresh parsley.

6) Serve immediately with the pan juices over mashed potatoes or with shoestring fries.

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