We have had some splendid sausage butties, topped off with chunky tomato chutney or some Tewkesbury mustard, with the lovely piggy pieces tucked between some home made bread. Bliss.
This is the elevation of a British classic beyond its humble origins.
Our toad in the hole has been given a lift too, with the addition of some chopped apple, as I have already recorded. Link
And there have been numerous variations on the sausage casserole theme..... One of my favourites included red onion, sundried tomatoes, fennel seed, orange peel and red wine.
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Christmas saw pigs in blankets two ways, as they would say on Masterchef. The first blanket being bacon wrappers for the Christmas lunch and the second made from crispy pastry for a party buffet. For the latter I used "puppies" and some homemade chutney to create picked puppies, much to the amusement of the younger party goers.
The recipe described below started off as a frantic fridge forage, when the evening's plans went totally awry, knocked off course by the giddy roundabout of a teenager's social life. Food was called for, and speed was the major ingredient!!
In such circumstances, sausages are always a useful standby, quick, simple and tasty and this made a nice addition to the repertoire.
6 good quality pork sausages, I used Asda Extra special pork and leek, made by Finnebrogue
2 apples
250ml dry cider
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
200 ml double cream
Skin the sausages, core and quarter the apples, then cut each quarter into 4 chunks
Break up the sausage meat. Heat 1tblsp rapeseed oil in a prospector pan.
Add the sausage meat and cook until browned all over.
Add the apples and continue to cook until they take on a little colour.
Add the cider and simmer for 20 minutes.
Mix the mustard with the cream and stir into the sausage mix. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Scatter a handful of pumpkin seeds on top and serve with linguine.
