Linsen & Spätzle (Updated - v2)

Preparation time around 70 minutes

*The* swabian mainstay recipe.

One has to eat Spätzle with the lentils.
Best procedure is to prepare the dough before you cook the lentils, and afterwards you cook the Spätzle.

Preparation You'll need: A medium sized pot for the lentils A small pot for the roux
Ingredients (for 2 persons) for the lentils 125 grams brown lentils 0.9 litres of water for the lentils (it's needed to make the sauce, so don't use more water) this also goes with the lentils: 1 carrot, small ½ small onion 1 pair of scalded sausage 1 medium sized potato 1 piece of smoked pork belly (around 120 to 150 grams) 2 cloves of garlic 1 bay leaf for the roux 35 g butter 35 g flour 4 table spoons red wine vinegar 1 tea spoon honey 1 level table spoon of tomato paste ca. 1 tea spoons salt Pepper
Preparation of the lentils In a medium pot, bring 0.9 litres of water to a boil. In the meantime... Peel the potato and chop roughly. Dice the carrot. Wash 125 g lentils in a sieve. Add everything to the boiling water together with a bay leaf and cook for a total of approx. 40-50 minutes (see the lentil package). Meanwhile, finely chop half a small onion and 2 cloves of garlic. 20 minutes before the end of that time frame add onion, garlic, the sausages (as they are or cut in pieces) and the pork belly. After those 20 minutes, put the pot on the side and keep it warm.
Preparation of the roux and last steps Remove around 300 millilitres of water from the pot with the lentils. Now melt 35 g butter in the little pot, add 35 g flour in several parts and cook carefully until medium brown, keep stirring. Then slowly add the water from the lentils in small portions and let it boil up once. It should result in a rather thick cream, if not you have to reduce it a bit. Most water should evaporate when added in small amounts. Add 4 Tbsp vinegar, 1 level Tbsp tomato paste and 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp honey, season with some pepper to your liking, pour the content into the pot with the lentils and mix well.