Autumn recipe: Sausage casserole

You can cook this recipe on the hob or for more flavour, pop it into a slow cooker

6 Cumberland sausages
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon plain flour
175ml red wine
1 teaspoon tomato purée
1 teaspoon mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
300ml vegetable stock (hot)

☐ Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the sausages into small chunks. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the sausages for 5 minutes until they are browned. Remove the sausages from the pan and place into a flame-proof casserole dish.

☐ Drain most of the oil from the pan and then add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, the leek and the garlic and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes until they start to soften. Add the flour and the red wine and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping at the bottom of the pan to make sure that it doesn’t stick. Stir in the tomato purée, then transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.

☐ Add the herbs, the bay leaf, the seasoning and the stock to the casserole and stir thoroughly. Bring it to the boil and then cover and reduce the temperature, simmering for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with a dollop or two of mash.

Slow cooker method

Follow step 1 then transfer all the ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on a high setting for 1 hour then reduce to a low setting and cook for a further 6 to 8 hours.

]Slicing the sausages before cooking results in them absorbing the juices during the cooking process and remaining juicy and full of flavour.