How to make a Sausage Casserole

Easy to follow instructions for a warming casserole with mashed potato

Shopping List

• 8 Cumberland Sausages
• 6oz Shallots
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 8oz Mushrooms
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 50g Butter
• 1 large celery stalk
• 2 large Carrots
• bunch of fresh Parsley (petroselinum crispum)
• 350ml Bordeaux
• 300ml Beef Stock
• 1Kg Potatoes
• spring onions
• 6 rashers Pancetta
• Salt and pepper

How to prepare

Thinly slice the shallots, wipe and cut the mushrooms in half, dice the celery and carrots.

Wash, dry and finely chop the parsley.

Peel the potatoes and cut into equal pieces about 2cm diameter.

Place potatoes in a saucepan of salted water.

In a large casserole dish put the olive oil and butter, add the sausages and fry for five minutes, constantly turning till they are lightly golden coloured.

Add the shallots, garlic, mushrooms, celery and carrots.

Heat for a further 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the wine and bay leaves bringing to the boil then reduce by half and pour in the stock gradually to cover.

Cook on the hob for a further 10 minutes then cover and place in the middle of a pre-heated oven for one and a half hours at Gas Mark 5/175°F/80°C.

Stir in half the parsley to the casserole when you remove it from the oven.

Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes then drain.

Grill or dry fry the pancetta till crispy. Pancetta will usually have what looks like a lot of fat but it becomes wonderfully crispy very quickly due to its thin slicing. Remove it from the heat source before you burn it.

Wash and trim salad onions and finely chop into 1cm lengths.

Mash and season the potatoes with butter, salt & pepper and most of the remaining parsley, then fold in the onions.

To serve

Ladle the casserole over the potatoes, placing the pancetta on top. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley.