Sausage in a Pot

London is so big, that perhaps I can be forgiven for not discovering this amazing, unassuming little sausage shop earlier. It took a fellow Australian who had been in the city for less than a week to introduce me to Biggles Gourmet Sausages, ‘London’s first all-sausage emporium’ – and am I glad he did!

Sausages were invented as a method of meat preservation, hence their Latin root ’salsus’, which means salted. We all know that they are made from meat, spices and fat – hmmm, but how much ‘meat’, you ask? By law, pork sausages in the UK must contain at least 42% pork – but what constitutes pork is definitely interpreted differently by different producers. Biggles, known for their quality ingredients, put a whopping 85 – 95% meat in their sausages. And you can taste it – we tried the Italian Spicy variety, which is flavoured with garlic, paprika, white wine and fennel – they were so juicy, and had a surprising after taste, when the spices kicked in.

One big advantage of having friends stay, is that they cook for you (no, that is not the primary reason for inviting people to our house!) So, all credit for this one-pot-wonder goes to Simon (serves 4):

• Fry 8 sausages in butter and oil until they are crispy on the outside – those who know say this will stop the skin from bursting later.
• Take the sausages out and cook 1 fennel bulb (finely diced) and 3 large capsicums / red peppers (cut into pieces). Once these have browned, add 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, half a teaspoon of paprika and one cup of white wine. Put the sausages back in and simmer until the sauce is reduced by a third (or until your dinner guests have arrived).
• Slice the sausages and mix them back through the sauce. And of course, season to taste.

Those observant ones will notice that this recipe is strongly influenced by the sausage ingredients… so feel free to replace the paprika and fennel with thyme, ginger, lemon zest,  chilli or whatever you find in your fridge / cupboard / garden.Note: the lack of accompanying photo is due to our camera turning all images into horizontal white stripes – but never fear, a replacement camera is on its way and you will soon be subjected to my amateur shots again.