Sausage and Cider Casserole Recipe

It's probably a bit of a cheek to actually call this a recipe as it's really from the 'bung everything in and hope for the best' school of cooking (my favourite sort.)  Anyhoo, here goes

Brown the sausages in a frying pan or saucepan (whatever you use needs to have a lid for the ensuing simmering) with a little olive oil.

When the sausages have got a bit of colour on their skins take them out of the pan and put on a plate.  In the same oil fry off a smallish onion and some bacon pieces (or pancetta if you're really posh.) 

After five minutes or so add a heaped teaspoon of flour to coat the onion and bacon, then add a wine-glass or so of cider.  Bring to the boil until the sauce thickens then add the sausages, some chopped carrot, mushrooms and anything else you might have knocking around that would be good in the casserole - this weekend I added chopped apples and they were mighty tasty.  Add a couple of goodly pinches of dried mixed herbs.  Simmer on the hob for approx. an hour and a half and serve with creamy mashed potato.  Delicious.

The idea for this casserole only came about because I had half a bottle of cider to use up.  Since then I've used part cider, part apple juice and that worked fine too.  I'm sure it would be just as tasty with just apple juice.  Equally, I tend to use bacon pieces but you could leave them out altogether or if, like me, you find you have no bacon, bacon pieces or similar in the fridge you could resort to using up three sad looking rashers of parma ham in an opened packet.  Can't stand parma ham as is but it was absolutely fine in this casserole.

I tend to be very boring and stick to just using carrots and mushrooms but I'm sure any other root veggie would be great too.  As, if you're so inclined, would celery or celeriac (personally, I think anything that has the flavour of celery is the work of the devil.)

I've only ever used pork or venison sausages in this dish but thinking about I'm sure if you substituted the cider for red wine it would work equally well with beef sausages.  Hmm, think I'll have to try that!

The vintage recipe booklets were found this morning at the 'Coffee and Jumble.'  Be honest, who could resist the title 'Gayer Cakes with Satin Icing!'

Comments

[Alexx]

Sounds good - love the vintage recipe booklets too!

[Decking Ipe]

I made this today.
As a slight twist I kept half of the bacon aside and mixed it with the mashed potato, along with some grated Parmesan.

I transferred the part cooked sausages, onions, bacon and cider sauce into an oven proof dish and topped with the mash.

Sprinkled with more Parmesan and olive oil and finished off in a hot oven for about 30 minutes.

It almost looked too good to eat.