Sausages Braised in Red Wine

Sausages Braised in Red Wine

This is a Delia twist on an old favourite and is absolutely delicious. I never use venison sausages, but whichever I fancy that particular day. It's the juniper berries and redcurrant jelly that make it though - the sweet and sour 'bite' and sauce with bacon is just scrummy!

The idea is that you brown off the sausages, fry off bacon, onions and mushrooms with some crushed juniper berries, and braise the lot in red wine. I just steamed some broccoli in the microwave to go alongside, and because my mum still always asks what greens I'm having with my tea: sometimes I even make it up, but, being my mum, she always knows!

Tasty Amuse-Bouche

Amuse-Bouche

Just a quick post to show the three amuse-bouche I whipped up when trying out the CDwM recipes. The first were the tadpoles in holes, seen across the middle of the picture. The second was a smoked haddock pot-au-feu with a quail's egg on top. It was the first time I had cooked these and so, as I presume is often the case, overcooked them slightly.

These were very tasty, but rather a lot of phaff for such a small part of the meal, though as a larger starter, Smoked Haddock Pot-au-feu, are delicious. First, poach a small piece of smoked haddock in milk til nearly cooked. Make a roux with butter and flour and add the milk from the poaching pan. Season well, add a blob of wholegrain mustard, grated cheddar, chopped parsley and baby-leaf spinach. Place a small piece of fish in something oven-proof that you can 'toast' the tops in. Dollop over some of the sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. 'Toast' in the oven until the fish is piping hot and the cheese is bubbling. Serve in individual portion amuse-bouche crockery and place a quail's egg on top.

The third one I haven't actually tried out yet. It's going to be a chilled tomato and chill gazpacho! Well, we'll see how it works out.

Day 4: Sausages braised in cider

Sausages braised in cider

recipe: Janine Ratcliffe

Olive Magazine, August 2009

According to the recipe, it should take 1 hour, 20minutes, serve 4, and is classed as 'easy'.

Ingredients

olive oil
8 sausages
2 onions, sliced
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped (optional)
2tsp flour
350ml dry cider
1tsp mustard
1kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
150ml milk
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
butter 50g

Method

Heat a little oil in a frying pan with a lid. Brown the sausages then remove from the pan. Add the onions and bacon and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add the flour and stir until absorbed. Gradually add the cider then the mustard, and sir until dissolved. Bring to a simmer then add the sausages, put on a lid and cook for 45 minutes.

To make the champ, put the milk and spring onions in a pan and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the butter and leave to melt. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash with the milk mix. Serve with the sausages and gravy.

What it should look like...

Original photograph: Lis Parsons

What mine looked like...

The facts:

Easy enough to make, within the time, and gave 4 portions as described. I was in a hurry when browning the sausage and wish I'd taken the time to brown them all over for a little longer, just for the look and presentation. I completed all the first steps, then put everything together in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours, rather than let them simmer on the hob, as we were going out. I made the champ when we returned and, hey presto, a delicious meal ready!

Taste:

Really scrummy! The sauce was thick and sticky, and had permeated the sausages, making a complete dish. The mash was as I usually make it, and just as tasty, melting into the sauce. Just what we needed at the end of a hard day watching athletics and cricket, listening to V-Festival from the garden!