Marinated fennel with lentils and fried sage

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 300 g lentils (e.g. du Puy)
• 100 ml olive oil
• 600 ml vegetable stock
• 500 g fennel
• 1 lemon(s)
• 125 ml white wine
• ½ bunch sage
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 30 minutes

Sauté the lentils in 1 tablespoon of oil, add the broth, and cook until tender, according to the package instructions (approx. 25-45 minutes, depending on the type of lentil). Trim the fennel and cut into quarters or eighths, depending on its size (reserve the fennel greens). Wash the lemon, thinly slice off a 10 cm piece of peel, and finely chop (or use a zester). Squeeze the lemon. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil and sauté the fennel. Deglaze with lemon juice and wine, and season with salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until just tender. Place the fennel on a deep platter. Add the fennel stock and the remaining oil (reserve about 2-3 tablespoons for the sage) to the lentils and stir. Serve the lentils with the fennel, add the chopped lemon zest, and chopped fennel greens, and let stand for about 3 hours. To serve, deep-fry the sage leaves in hot olive oil and sprinkle them over the dish. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt if desired. Serve with bread and olive oil for dipping.