Serve saucy sausages

CURRIED BEEF SAUSAGES

Serves 4

500g packet of beef bangers

10ml oil

1 onion, chopped

5ml chopped garlic

10ml curry powder

400g can of chopped tomatoes

250ml beef stock

salt and pepper

mashed potato for serving

Fry the sausages in the oil until nicely browned but not cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and fry until soft. Stir in the curry powder and cook for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes, stock and seasoning.

Return the sausages to the pan and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes until the sausages are cooked and the sauce has thickened.

Serve with mashed potato.

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SATAY CHICKEN SAUSAGES

Serves 4

500g packet of red pepper flavoured chicken bangers

30ml peanut oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

10ml chopped garlic

5-10ml green curry paste

400g can of coconut cream

125ml smooth peanut butter

15ml soy sauce

30ml lime or lemon juice

chopped coriander to serve

Fry the sausages in about 5ml of the oil until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Put the remaining oil in a small pot and gently fry the onion and garlic until soft.

Add the curry paste and fry for a minute. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil.

Add the peanut butter and stir until smooth. Simmer for 1-2 minutes until thickened.

Remove from the heat and stir in the soy sauce and lime juice.

Pour over the cooked sausages and serve sprinkled with coriander

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LAMB SAUSAGE WITH COUSCOUS

Serves 4

500g packet of lamb sausages

2 brinjals, cubed

125g butternut cubed

3-4 baby marrows, sliced

1 red onion, peeled |and cut into wedges

15ml harissa paste

15ml lemon juice

5ml lemon rind

15ml olive oil

375ml boiling chicken stock

375ml couscous

salt and pepper

60ml chopped coriander

Cook the lamb sausages until nicely browned. Drain well on paper towel. Cut the sausages into 2cm slices.

Combine the brinjals, butternut, marrows and onion in a bowl.

Combine the harissa paste, lemon juice, rind and olive oil and mix well. Pour this over the vegetables and toss well to coat the vegetables.

Put the vegetables into a roasting pan and roast at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until they are soft. Remove and set aside.

Pour boiling stock over the couscous, cover and set aside for 2-3 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Add the vegetables to the couscous and toss to combine.

Season to taste.

Add the sausage slices and coriander and serve.

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PORK SAUSAGES |WITH APPLE AND BACON

Serves 4

250g chopped streaky bacon

500g packet of pork bangers

1 large leek, thinly sliced

30ml flour

330ml can of sparkling |apple juice

15ml wholegrain mustard

2 green apples, |cored and cut into wedges

a handful of sage leaves

Fry bacon until crispy. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Add the sausages to the frying pan and cook until golden brown but not cooked through. Remove and set aside.

Add the leek to the pan and fry until soft. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.

Add the apple juice and mustard and cook, stirring, until the mixture boils. Return the bacon and sausages to the pan, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the apples to the pan and cook for another 5-10 minutes until they are soft and the bangers are cooked through. Serve sprinkled with sage.

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WHY NOT TRY MAKING YOUR OWN?

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I asked chef Nicky Gibbs to show me just how easy it is to make your own sausages at home – assuming, of course, you have a mincer with a sausage making attachment.

She says that unless you buy your sausages from a reputable place, you have way of knowing what has been put into them.

“If you make your own, you can flavour them to your taste and not have to worry that any fillers or cereal have gone in to bulking them up,” she says.

Nicky also feels that there is no finer package of seasonings and flavourings with protein and fat than a sausage.

“The Romans were the first recorded sausage makers which were cured and salted – to preserve the meat.”

She adds that France makes the best sausages because, by law, they aren’t allowed to have cereals or preservatives added.

Try her spicy lamb sausage recipe:

SPICY LAMB SAUSAGES

500g fatty lamb meat cut into 2cm cubes

15ml chopped dried mango

30ml chopped coriander

2ml black pepper

5ml salt flakes

5ml chopped chilli

3ml ground cumin

3ml ground coriander

Combine the lamb, mango, coriander, seasoning, chilli and spices in a bowl and leave for an hour or two for the flavours to infuse.

Mince the meat with the mincing attachment.

Attach the sausage maker attachment and thread the sausage skin on. You can buy sausage skins from most butchers.

Put the minced meat through the machine at a steady pace so that the mixture comes through evenly.

When all the meat has gone through, twist the length into banger size sausages or keep as one long sausage.

Rest the sausages for at least 2 hours before cooking.