Thursday 1 December 2011

Sausage Souflette

Jane has won another cookery book (as if we didn't have enough already!). Actually I'm not complaining, because it is a lovely book. It is written by Paul Gayler (published by Jacqui Small), and is called simply "Sausages".


Paul's book covers a whole range of sausage-related topics, including how to buy them, how to make them, and how to cook them, with a bit of history thrown in for good measure. The book is lavishly illustrated with some amazing photos by Will Heap. Recipes and pictures are both truly inspirational, and we set-to to make a dish from this book only the day after it arrived. Actually, it's arrival was nicely timed, because only the day before we had bought a pound of lovely pork chipolatas (from a real butcher, not a supermarket), and we had been wondering about the best way to use them.


The book has a very wide range of recipe styles, from the traditional British "Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy" right through to "Indian Sausage Masala", so it was hard to decide, but eventually we opted for "Sausage, Portobello Mushroom and Winter Root Soufflette".


This dish has red-wine-braised sausages and shallots topped with a light Cottage Pie-style topping made with Parsnips and Swede.


We used some of my home-grown Parsnips in the topping, and served the dish with my own Purple Sprouting Broccoli as an accompaniment too.


This is Jane's interpretation of the recipe:- lovely light, tasty souffle-style topping with rich meaty sausages in a winey, onioney gravy underneath.


Served with broccoli and Charlotte potatoes...


Although this was probably the most washing-up-intensive dish EVER, it was really nice to eat! I'm looking forward to more recipes from this book. I might even have a go at Paul Gayler's way of making skinless sausages (partly cooked in clingfilm before grilling / frying)...

9 comments:

  1. Congratulations. Jane is a clever lucky bunny.
    I love sausages from the butcher in the Queen Vic Market here in Melbourne. They just taste so much better. Pecked full of flavour.

    I think you may have lots of fun making skinless sausages...good luck!

    That dish by the way looks fantastic. I'm now rethinking tonights menu ;D

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  2. 2 more hours till lunchtime....& I'm already hungry looking at those beautiful dish on ur plate..:)

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  3. That looks really delicious, proper comfort food for winter.

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  4. Oh now I need to find a midnight snack. You made me hungry with those very delicious dish. I have a surprise for you in my blog.

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  5. I'm looking at this this morning before breakfast! Looks wonderful and that's a nice book too!

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  6. I'm not really a foodie blogger it just isn't my thing - but your photos of this dish almost made me change my mind.

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  7. I'm so hungry! I have sausages to cook tonight but will probably just have them with mash and carrots.

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  8. It may see me inappropriate commenting here, esp as I am a veghead. But I have to say I am a fan of Mr Paul Gayler, he was one of the first mainstream chefs to cater innovative and creative veggie meals for the veghead, offering food beyond the mushroom risotto and cheesy lasagne, but saying that I won't be flicking through this book :) The PSB looks good though.

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  9. That looks delicious Mark! Yummy comfort food to take the chill out of the fall air. And most of it local...I like that part too :)

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