Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy
My husband is a real meat and potatoes fan. He could quite happily have meat and potatoes every night of the week and never tire of it! He especially loves pork chops or sausages!
They have beautiful sausage here in the UK. They have nasty ones as well (think cheap and filled with lots of fillers, pasty textured, blecch). But I think that is the same anywhere. If you are open to paying a bit more there are loads of beautiful sausages you can buy for your family.
In my opinion a good sausage will contain at least 70% of good quality meat with the remainder being seasonings, fat (you need fat in a good sausage) and rusks or bread crumbs. I have had really low fat sausages and have always found them to be hard and dry. You need fat in a sausage or why bother to have one! Fat adds flavour and is a part of what makes them succulent and delicious.
Here in the UK there are literally hundreds of different kinds/flavours of sausage. Most butchers will have their own speciality sausages. The butcher who used to be down at the Parade where I live had gorgeous ones. Sadly he closed down. Just couldn't compete with the big grocery shops I think, which was a real shame.
There is nothing nicer than a well made Butchers sausage. Well worth every penny. Most areas in the UK also have their speciality sausages as well, such as Gloucester, Cumberland, Lincolnshire, Manchester, Oxford, Yorkshire, etc. They even have square sausage known as the Lorne Sausage, generally composed of pork and beef and served cut into slices. It comes from Scotland. I have seen it at Costco, and been tempted to buy, but haven't tried it as of yet. It would be great in sandwiches I think!
You can get apple and leek sausages, leek sausages, mustard and caramelised onion, Stilton and cranberry, etc. There is really no end to the variety out there!
My favourites are Cumberland. They are nicely spiced and peppery. You can get them in links or coiled up (Catherine Wheels). The best are found right in Cumbria itself. I remember buying beautiful ones for our supper when we were staying up there one year. My taste buds still tingle when I think of them! They were so delicious!
Yes, I am a foodie through and through and the food we get to eat and try when we are on holiday is (truth be told) has always been the best part of any holiday for me!
This is a very autumnal recipe I am sharing here with you today. Hearty, rich and comforting.
Plump, perfectly browned sausages, braised in a beautifully flavoured gravy . . . rich and lush . . .
Filled with the flavours of earthy and oniony leeks . . . tart cooking apple, sweet apple juice and sharp grainy mustard . . . along with the smokiness of bacon and that richness from the sausage . . .
Altogether this is a fabulously tasty dish. Hearty and beautifully flavoured. You can't go wrong. I think you are about to fall in love . . .
Yield: 4
Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy
Proper delicious bangers braised with leeks, apple and apple juice for a hearty autumn supper. Perfect served with fluffy mash and a vegetable on the side.
ingredients:
- 2 tsp light olive oil
- 8 fat good quality pork sausages (I like Cumberland)
- 1 medium leek, trimmed and washed
- 6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
- 300ml cloudy apple juice (1 1/4 cup sweet apple cider)
- 1 large cooking apple (I used Bramley)
- 2 TBS grainy mustard
instructions:
How to cook Braised Sausages with an Apple Gravy
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet which has a tight fitting lid. Add the sausages and cook, turning frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown all over. Remove and set aside.
- Trim the leek, removing and discarding any dark green parts. Slit down one side and rinse well, making sure any grit or dirt is gone. Cut into 3 inch lengths and then slice the lengths into 1/4 inch strips. Return the skillet to the heat and add the leeks and bacon pieces. Stir fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until the leeks have softened and the bacon is cooked. Return the sausages to the pan and pour on the apple juice. Cover tightly and braise over low heat for 30 minutes over low heat.
- Peel and core the apple. Dice into 1/4 inch dice. Add to the pan, scattering it around the sausages. Cover and cook for a further 15 minutes on low, or until the apple has softened and begins to break down, and the pan juices have thickened. If you think the pan juices are too thick add some more apple juice.
- Stir in the grainy mustard and heat through. Serve immediately with lots of fluffy mashed potatoes and your favourite vegetables on the side.
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Don't be tempted to use a sweet eating apple in this. You really want a tart cooking apple to offset the sweetness of the apple juice. This is just perfect . . . absolutely. We enjoyed it with fluffy hot mashed potatoes and steamed green beans.
