Cumberland sausage pie
Cumberland pie is very similar to shepherd’s pie, so we thought to ourselves: why not make a pie with Cumberland sausages for the full Cumberland experience? We’ve broken the sausages up into little balls so everyone gets a bite of banger satisfaction. Add the cheesy potato topping and this is a dish to be proud of. Serves 4
8 Cumberland sausages (about 500g),
skins removed
3 tbsp olive oil
15g butter
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato purée
100ml red wine
400ml beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 large thyme sprig
1-2 tbsp Cumberland sauce
1 tsp orange zest (optional)
FOR THE TOPPING
1kg floury potatoes, cut into chunks 30g butter bunch of spring onions, cut into rounds 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (optional)
50ml single cream
100g cheddar, grated
1 Divide each sausage into four and roll each piece into balls. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the sausage balls until browned on all sides, then set them aside.
2 Heat the remaining oil and the butter in a large saucepan or a flameproof casserole dish. Add the vegetables and cook them for a few mins, until well coated with the oil and butter. Cover and leave to cook, stirring regularly, until tender – this will take at least 10 mins.
3 Stir in the flour. When it has disappeared into the oil, stir in the tomato purée. Turn up the heat and cook for a couple of mins, stirring constantly, then pour in the red wine. Bring to the boil and continue to stir, then add the stock, Worcestershire sauce and herbs. Stir in the Cumberland sauce and the orange zest, if using, then add the sausage balls. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.
4 Bring to the boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cook the sauce for 20 mins, stirring every so often to make sure it doesn’t catch on the bottom, until it has reduced down a bit and thickened.
Meanwhile, make the topping. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the potatoes, season with plenty of salt and cook for
10-15 mins until the potatoes are tender.
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
5 Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth. Melt the butter in a pan and add the spring onions. Fry until they start to soften, then add the potatoes to the pan with the mustard, if using, and the cream. Beat together until well combined.
6 Put the filling into a pie dish or casserole dish. Spread the mashed potato over the top, then rough it up with a fork. Sprinkle over the cheese. Bake in the oven for about 30 mins until well browned and piping hot.