Sausages braised in red wine
It has been a frustrating winter so far. Incessant rain which means that you can’t get outside to do anything and the garden is just a quagmire. In the mountains the rain has fallen as snow and there is just so much of it that they can’t cope and in the ski resorts there is a constant danger of avalanche. Which is frustrating for John who loves skiing (Derek retired not too gracefully a few years ago when he realized that he had arrived at the age when you don’t bounce so easily) but John has been unable to go because the resorts are either closed or with constant snow the visibility and avalanche risk make it unwise. Yesterday was different – the weather wasn’t perfect but good enough so off he went with friends for the day and got to try out the new skis he had bought. One happy bunny returned in the evening!
Left in charge of supper Derek pondered what to do. When skiing John eats a carbohydrate lunch so the first thought is to avoid those in the evening. Without too much ado the decision was made to cook sausages braised in red wine. This is a dish he has cooked for many years and is loved by his children and friends alike. Though the dish is simple its success rests on the quality of the ingredients so do buy the best quality sausages you can – a Toulouse type works best and not too salty. Use a decent red wine – no need to go for fine wine but something of reasonable quality – the sort that you would quaff on its own and enjoy.
The recipe uses button onions but as they are not always available (and anyway are such a faff to prepare) we tend to use a large onion cut into halves and then thickly sliced into semi rings – go with whatever suits.
serves 4
- 500g pork sausages
- 225g lardons or lean bacon cut into cubes
- 225 button onions or a large onion
- olive oil
- 1 heaped tsp flour
- 275 ml red wine
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 175g mushrooms, halved if large
In a large casserole heat a little oil and brown the sausages all over then remove with a slotted spoon. Add the lardons or bacon to the pan and cook for a few minutes then add the onions and continue until the onions are nicely browned too. Add the flour and stir around to soak up any remaining oil then gradually add the red wine stirring to make a sauce. Bring to a simmer, return the sausages to the pan together with the garlic, bay leave and thyme. Put the lid on and simmer very gently for around 30 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for another 20 minutes without the lid by which time everything should be ready and the sauce nicely reduced. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
To accompany it would normally be a big pile of creamy mashed potato but since we were avoiding the carbs we had bright, fresh savoy cabbage.
recipe by Delia Smith
TIP:
When you cook cabbage, any sort, shred into ribbons and cook in lots of boiling water until just tender – don’t overcook it. Drain it in a large colander, take a small saucer, place on top and press down to remove any excess water. Then, use the edge of the saucer to chop the cabbage into fine pieces.
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