Jamie’s Sausage and Super Mash with Onion Gravy

Serves 4

2 long, curled Cumberland sausages
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a bunch of fresh sage, leaves picked
olive oil
bunch of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
2kg potatoes, peeled
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
300ml milk
115g (4 oz) butter
4 Tb freshly grated horseradish (or jarred)
4 medium red onions, peeled and finely sliced
5 Tb balsamic or red wine vinegar
2 beef or chicken stock cubes

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees (400 F).
If you’re using traditional round cumberland sausage, tuck the garlic and most of the sage leaves between the layers of sausage. If you’re using normal sausages, untwist the links and squeeze the meat through, rolling them into a tight circle and pushing in the garlic and sage as you go.

Secure the sausages with a couple of skewers or some sharp rosemary stalks.
Place them on an oiled baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with rosemary leaves.

Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until crisp and golden.
Five minutes before the sausages are read, remove the baking tray from the oven, place the rest of the sage next to the sausages, drizzle with olive oil, then return the tray to the oven. The leaves will go lovely and crispy.

While the sausages are cooking, chop your potatoes into rough chunks and boil them in the salted water until cooked. Drain well, then return to the pan. Mash until smooth, adding the milk, 70g of butter, and the horseradish (use more if needed). Season well to taste, then put the lid on the pan and keep warm at the back of the stove.

Making the onion gravy is simple. Fry the onions, really slowly, in a little oil, covered, for about 15 minutes or until soft. Remove the lid, turn the heat up, and as soon as the onions become golden brown pour in the vinegar and boil until it almost disappears. Turn the heat down again, add the rest of the butter, crumble in the stock cubes and 565ml of water and stir well. Let this simmer until you have a nice gravy consistency.

To serve, dollop some oozy potatoes on the plate, chop up the sausages (discarding the skewers), put them alongside the mash and spoon over the onion gravy. Scatter with the crispy sage leaves. Proper comfort food!

Grulover comment
We made this dish for my dad on father’s day and he loved it! Big hit with the boys.