* from The Independent & The Independent on Sunday
3 March 2007 15:45
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/food_and_drink/features/article2309271.ece
It's time to plump for juicy sausages
Enjoy bangers with or without meat says Mark Hix
Published: 03 March 2007
The British really are a nation of sausage-lovers - and it is this that
has
finally caused the country's sausage-makers to take a step back and
re-*****s
the market for good-quality, proper sausages.
Why is it that we will buy a piece of ordinary ****k for good money - but
we
won't pay the same price for good quality, well-made British sausages?
Look at a
chorizo, for example. A grilling chorizo with a good pedigree will fetch a
much
higher price than a piece of ****k loin, but a well-made ***berland sausage
at
the same price would probably just sit on the shelves because the general
public
are just so used to sausages being made from rubbish.
I suppose the poor old British banger has a long way to go before it's
going to
be perceived as being a first-division player, especially with overseas
competition such as the chorizo, bratwurst, Toulouse and so on.
But for those in the know and with a palate for a good meaty sausage,
there is a
scattering of butchers across the country that do make the genuine
article. I
occasionally get comments that the sausages we serve in our restaurants,
lovingly created by Jean-Paul Habermann of the Franconian Sausage Company,
are a
bit tough. That can only mean that they must be used to the kinds of
sausage
that gives them a bad reputation in the first place - with synthetic skins
and
lots of filler. A proper bit of intestine, good chunks of meat and a
generous
seasoning is what a good sausage is all about - as well as a sausage-maker
who
has some passion and understanding in his belly like Jean-Paul (by which I
mean
that he's a bit tubby).
Making sausages at home can be great fun. It's good to have a
sausage-making
attachment on your food mixer in the cupboard, whether it's a Kenwood Chef
or
Kitchen Aid. Or, if you're really keen and want to get to work on home
sausage
production, you could buy a small table-top sausage machine from the
Natural
Casing Company (www.naturalcasing.co.uk; 01252 713545); they also sell the
skins
in all different sizes and seasonings.
Places to buy good meaty sausages include Brindisa (www.brindisa.com),
which
sells both large and small chorizo at its stall in Borough Market; The
Ginger
Pig in Marylebone High Street, London W1 (020-7935 7788), Lidgates in
Holland
Park, London W11 (020-7727 8243), Sillfield Farm in Kendal
(www.sillfield.co.uk), which has several market stalls dotted around the
country, Higginsons in Grange-over-Sands
(www.grange-over-sands.com/shops/higginsons) and Forman and Field
(www.formanandfield.com).
Glamorgan sausages with creamed leeks
Makes 4
Sometimes, believe it or not, I do think about you vegetarians out there.
When I
worked in the Grill Room at the Dorchester, we had this dish on the menu
and
although it's only a sausage in shape, it makes a pretty good non-meaty
starter.
For the sausage
2 large leeks, halved, and then finely shredded and washed
A good knob of butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1tsp English mustard
100g Caerphilly cheese
120g fresh white breadcrumbs
Flour for dusting
1 large egg, beaten
Vegetable or corn oil for frying
For the creamed leeks
2 large leeks, cut into rough 1-2cm squares and washed
A good knob of butter
200ml double cream
Gently cook the leeks in the butter for 4-5 minutes with a lid on until
they are
soft, stirring them every so often. Transfer the leeks to a bowl and then
mix
them into a firm paste with the mustard, cheese and 80g of breadcrumbs and
season. Refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes to firm it up, and
then
mould into 4 even-sized sausages and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, make the creamed leeks for the accompaniment. Gently cook
the
leeks in a covered pan for 4-5 minutes, stirring them every so often. Add
the
cream, season and simmer gently for 5-6 minutes, or until the cream has
reduced
and is just coating the leeks. Cover and keep warm.
While the leeks are cooking, have three shallow containers ready, one with
the
flour, one with the egg and the third for the remainder of the
breadcrumbs. Pass
the sausages through the flour, shaking off any excess, then through the
egg and
finally through the breadcrumbs.
Heat about a centimetre of oil in a frying pan and carefully cook the
sausages
on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, then drain on some kitchen
paper.
To serve, spoon the leeks on to the centre of warmed serving dishes and
place a
sausage on each.
Chicken wings with Chinese sausage
Serves 4
You can buy thin Chinese sausages from most Chinese supermarkets. They are
closer to a cured sausage than a fresh sausage and are often marketed as
wind-dried. What they are made of can vary - but ****k and duck liver is
the
normal combination.
These chicken wings with Chinese sausages make a good snack, starter or
main
course, and you could even batter and deep-fry them. f
16 large chicken wings
8 thin Chinese preserved sausages
4tbsp soy sauce
30g of root ginger, roughly chopped
1tsp cornflour
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
8 spring onions, finely shredded on the angle
2tbsp shredded coriander leaves
Your chicken wings should consist of three joints, the pointed wing tip,
the
central wing and the bone that was attached to the breast. First, cut
through
the joints of the central wing that attach it to the other two joints. Put
the
central joints to one side. Then put the end joints into a pan with the
ginger,
soy sauce and cover with about a litre of water. Bring to the boil and
simmer
for 40 minutes, then strain through a fine meshed sieve.
Steam or boil the Chinese sausage for 20 minutes in plain water. Poach the
central wing joints in this liquid for 10 minutes then remove and leave to
cool,
keeping the liquid simmering gently.
Push the two bones out of each wing, and then cut the sausages in half (or
three) and push each half into the cavity of the wings where the bones
have been
removed. Return the wings to the simmering liquid and continue to simmer
for 30
minutes. Remove the wings and keep warm. Continue simmering the liquid
until you
have about 150ml or so left.
Dilute the cornflour in a little water and stir into the simmering liquid,
add
the garlic and simmer for another couple of minutes. The sauce should be
quite
thick by now; if it's still a bit runny then you could add a little more
cornflour diluted with water. Add the spring onions and coriander and
remove
from the heat. Serve the sauce spooned over the wings.
Serve the dish with rice, steamed Chinese broccoli or some stir-fried pea
shoots
or small pak choi.
Heaven and Earth
Serves 4
This dish was born over a few bottles of Good Ordinary Claret at the
Rivington
Grill with a couple of my good friends. Steve and Darren were reminiscing
about
a delicious dish that they often eat in a bar called Brauerei zum
Schlüssel in
the Altstadt in Dusseldorf, called Himmel und Erder - which translated
means
heaven and earth.
The local black pudding over there is made with unpasteurised pig's blood
and it
has a beautifully soft and silky texture. The nearest thing to it that I
could
find in this country was the Spanish morcilla which pretty much does the
trick -
and Steve and Darren seem to approve too.
4 soft Spanish or French black puddings (or 8 for a main course, depending
on
their size)
500-600g fluffy ma****ng potatoes
2 medium sized onions, peeled, halved and sliced
150g butter
100-150ml milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large cooking apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Bake the potatoes for about 11/2
hours
until soft then leave to cool for half an hour or so. Halve them and scoop
out
the flesh, then mash in a bowl with half the butter. Season and beat in
some
milk until it has a light and fluffy consistency.
Meanwhile, melt the rest of the butter in a heavy saucepan and gently cook
the
onions with a lid on for 6-7 minutes, stirring every so often, until soft.
Season, add the apple and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, giving the
occasional stir until the apple is beginning to break up. Add a little
sugar if
you wish, depending on the sweetness of the apples.
While the apples are cooking, cook the black puddings under a medium grill
for
5-6 minutes, turning them every so often.
To serve, spoon the mash on to warmed plates, dividing the onion mixture
between
them, placing the black pudding on top.
Prawn, squid and chorizo stew
Serves 4
Firm-fleshed seafood lends itself to a piquant sausage such as chorizo.
It's
best to buy cooking chorizo known as parilla for this dish.
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
3tbsp olive oil
1tsp tomato purée
150ml dry white wine
250ml fish stock
8 large waxy new potatoes like Charlotte or Belle de Fontenay, peeled and
halved
lengthways
2 medium-sized squid, weighing about 150g, cleaned and tentacles reserved
150g cooking chorizo, cut into 1cm thick chunks
8 or 12 large raw, headless tiger prawns, shelled
1tbsp chopped parsley
Gently cook the onion, garlic and chorizo in half the olive oil in a
covered pan
for 4-5 minutes, stirring every so often. Add the tomato purée, wine,
stock and
potatoes, bring to the boil and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce
has
thickened a little. Cut the squid into 3-4 cm chunks and sauté in the rest
of
the olive oil on a high heat for a minute or so. Add to the sauce;
continue
simmering for 3-4 minutes, add the prawns and parsley and simmer for
another 2-3
minutes. Season if necessary and serve.
Also in this section
--
Martin
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