Hearty lentil stew

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 600 g smoked bacon (e.g. twin bacon)
• 3 ½ liters of water
• 2 large onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 4 stalk(s) Celery
• 4 large carrots
• 3 allspice berries
• 3 juniper berries, crushed
• 2 carnations
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary
• 3 sprigs of marjoram
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 500 g lentils
• 600 g Mettenden
• some salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 50 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 20 minutes

Brown the twin bacon in a large pot with very little oil on both sides until lightly browned. Then add 3.5 liters of cold water. Then clean the onions and garlic, but do not peel them. Halve the onion, press the garlic, and add it to the water with the skin on. Then wash 1/2 a leek, 2 celery sticks, and 2 carrots, chop them into large pieces, and add them to the water. Add the herbs and spices to the water. Bring to a boil with the lid closed, then simmer gently on low heat for 1 hour. In the meantime, clean and dice the remaining vegetables and slice the Mettenden sausages. After an hour, transfer the twin bacon to a plate and let cool. Skim off the remaining ingredients with a slotted spoon, squeeze out the excess water, and discard. Add the lentils to the pot, bring to a boil briefly, and simmer gently with the lid closed for 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the fat and rind from the bacon and finely chop the meat. After 20-25 minutes, add the chopped vegetables, the Mettenden sausages, and the meat to the pot and simmer gently. After about 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper. The stew is ready to serve immediately and tastes even better the next day. Tip: Add a little more homemade herb vinegar.