Petit salé‚ aux lentilles is a great specialty from Auvergne in which cured pork is slowly cooked and served with lentils.

Heat the vegetable oil in a non-reactive large saucepan; sear the pork sausages on medium heat on both sides until brown. Remove with a tongue from pan, add cut cured ham and cured bacon or Pancetta, and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add chopped onion, chopped garlic and finely chopped leek. Sweat on low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring.
Add lentils and cold water to cover, bring to boil and keep the heat low to medium, to keep simmering. Skim off all the gray foam floating during the cooking process; it will help you to digest in silence and peace, if you know what I mean.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, but be light with the salt as the ham and bacon are already salted. Keep cooking for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender but not overcooked.

Chop the parsley finely and reserve. When the petit salé is cooked and the lentils just soft, serve in a dip dish platter, with chopped parsley on top.

Learn more about lentils: The green lentils of Le Puy are a chefs' favorite because of their distinctive flavor. They are exceptionally small and keep their shape and color when cooked. They have a fine green skin with steel blue speckles. The skin is finer and their starch content is lower than other pulses.

Le Puy is located in Auvergne, a volcanic area in the center of France, which boasts an ideal soil and climate for the growth of the lentils.