Sausage Caserole

Saturday 9th January 2010

The butcher used the wrong recipe for my leek sausages, so I have been stuck with these insipid looking things, which are, embarrassingly, not up to my usual standard. Needing to disguise and embellish them somewhat, I came up with the following, which did the trick! This was good, it would be really excellent with my Toulouse (garlic) sausages! The secret with this recipe is to cook everything really gently, perfect for range cookers and slow cookers (but you could even do it on the campsite, so no excuses!). It’s a good winter warmer for thawing the extremities after a hard day attacking snowmen (you know who you are boys!), and is a hearty meal too.

Sausage Caserole

Serves 6

Cooking time, best all day, start early!

sausages, x1 pack of 8 or so

sunflower oil, x1 tbsp

Brown the sausages in oil (gently) in an ovenproof casserole pan. Add:

onions, 2 chopped

Fry gently until onion caramelises and is beginning to catch on bottom of pan. Add :

tomatoes, 1 can whole (or chopped)

callennini beans, 1 can (or equivalent beans)

water, x1 pint/500ml

lentils, green (or red), x1 cup (approx) (optional, the kids complained about these, but bravely tolerated them)

potatoes, x6 finely diced

herbes de provence, x 1tbsp

worcester sauce, dash

piri piri sauce, dash

stock cube, x1 low salt vegetable (or other)

salt

pepper

Simmer for 20 minutes and put in very low oven approx 130°C for several hours with the lid off. You want a ‘plop’ boil, and for everything on the top surface to caramelise and brown. Turn sausages over (they float to the top) to brown all round. When thickened and done, put on lid and rest for half hour. Serve with crusty French bread and greens (we had Chinese cabbage).

Amanda Nantgwynfaen

www.organicfarmwales.co.uk