As the weather has been getting quite frosty here , this has recently become a staple of my winter recipe repetoire. It is most definately not one of the healthiest dinners you could treat yourself to, but it sure tastes good. Perhaps it one of our primal instincts to seek to load up on the carbs when things turn cold.
The following is a recipe for one (to reflect my current situation!), so please adjust accordingly.
Ingredients
3 good sized pork sausages
For the mash
2 medium sized or 1 large potato (about 250g)
2 tablespoons of milk or cream
1 knob of butter
Salt (or, even better, garlic salt!) and pepper
For the gravy
1 medium sized red onion
2 knobs of butter
1.5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
100ml of water (or, even better, stock!)
1 teaspoon of flour
Salt and pepper to taste
What to do:
1. Start with the potatoes, because I find they take the longest the cook. Peel and cut the potatoes in small pieces (about double bite sized). Put them in a pot of water on the stove, and bring to the boil. You want to boil the potatoes until they are soft enough to easily push a fork through one of the pieces.
2. Next let’s start on the gravy. Chop up the red onion into small pieces. In a small pan over medium heat, sweat the red onion with a knob of butter. Put a lid on the pan – this will keep the onion from drying out.
3. Now for the sausages. My preference is to pan fry them over low heat – however, because my stove here is unreliable, I usually poach them in simmering (not boiling!) water for about 20 minutes (to ensure they are cooked through), then put them in a pan for another 15 minutes on low heat to brown them. So I usually get some water simmering on the stove at this point – but if you prefer to fry, grill or bake them, do what you usually do.
4. After about 15 minutes the onions should be soft – remove the lid, let them cook for another minute or so, then add the balsamic vinegar. Let the vinegar reduce for a couple of minutes (the onions should have changed colour, but the pan shouldn’t be soupy) then add the other knob of butter, and the water (or stock).
5. Put a lid on the gravy, and let it slow boil for 15-20 minutes. Taste it, does it need any salt or pepper?
6. Keep an eye on the sausages, the trick is to not cook them too fast, otherwise the outside gets burnt, while the inside is still raw!
7. Now everyone has their own preference as to how they like their gravy. I prefer mine quite thick, and I find that 1-1.5 teaspoons of flour mixed into the gravy gets it to the right consistency for me. If you are not sure, I would add 0.5 a teaspoon of flour into the gravy, give it a good stir until you can’t see any lumps of flour, and see whether it is thick enough. If you accidentally add to much, just add water.
8. By this time, my potatoes are about done. Check by pushing a fork through one of them – there should be no resistance. Drain the potatoes, and mash them! Either using a masher, or the back of a fork, mash them with the milk and butter. Again, if you like your mash runny, add more milk – but be careful not to overdo it, as there is no way (which I know of) of firming up mash potatoes which are too runny. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
9. By now the sausages should be cooked (it is usually about 40 minutes since I started on them), but to check, either cut one in half, or insert a metal skewer into one for 5 seconds. If it comes out piping hot, then its cooked. However, I’m of the school that you don’t break the skin of a sausage until you eat it – otherwise all the delicious juices escape!
10. On a plate, arrange the mash in the middle, the sausages perched on top, and the gravy covering it all! Bon appetite!
