Dishevelled sausages

This is a cheeky take on a Kiwi classic from the Jurassic years — some of you younger lot may not have heard of ‘‘devilled sausages’’.

This is relatively quick and easy with fewer pantry staples than in the original. The bonus is that you get to use up apples, which I keep harping on about because we throw out 5117 tonnes a year totalling a grand $14,818,152!

Serves 56

You will need

clean hands chopping board and knife zester/grater large stove top pan with a lid wooden spoon heavybased pot sterilised repurposed jars with lids, if making enough to store (a jam funnel, if you have one, helps make less mess)

10 small or 6 large sausages (plain beef works best, but use any favourite or try nonmeat sausages)

2 Tbsp (approx) high heat oil (I

use grapeseed oil)

2 brown onions, roughly chopped 4 large garlic cloves, smashed and

roughly chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely diced or grated dash of Worcestershire sauce and

balsamic vinegar

2 or so cups of chicken stock (low salt

is preferable)

2 Tbsp of 10minute tomato sauce

(see recipe below) or store bought 2 apples, cored and cut into thick segments, not too thin (green apples are ideal as nice and tart) squeeze of lemon juice

1 Tbsp cornflour/potato flour

10minute tomato sauce

Makes 5 medium jars

swirl olive oil (for the measurement folk,

about 2 Tbsp)

4 onions, peeled and halved (use your

old onions)

6 garlic cloves (use old garlic and the

more the better, I think)

6 cans tomatoes

1 Tbsp any sugar or runny honey salt to taste

Method

In a large pan that has a lid, add some of the oil and saute the sausages until browned.

Set aside on a plate. If the sausages are really fatty I lightly rinse out the pan. Replace on stove on a low to medium heat, add more oil and saute the onion, garlic, leek and carrot until soft.

Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar.

Add the partly cooked sausages back into the mixture.

Add the chicken stock to cover plus the 10minute tomato sauce and bring to a boil; lower heat to simmer gently.

Add apples and cook with the lid on until the sausages are cooked through. Add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Put a couple of full spoons of the liquid in a cup and quickly stir the cornflour/ potato flour in until smooth, then add to the dish, stirring thoroughly to thicken.

Let cool with the lid off and serve with mashed potatoes.

They are the family favourite: if no spuds, serve with rice, pasta or a grain.

I add a handful of chopped baby spinach, the kids don’t. Sigh.

10minute tomato sauce

In a large soup pot, swirl in the olive oil, add all the onions and garlic and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, while you are opening your canned tomatoes.

Pour these in and sluice out each can with a little water to get all the tomatoes, and tip into the pot. Stir well and add the sugar and salt.

Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to simmer, for as long as you want, but if I have hungry kids waiting I can do it in as little as 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and blend.

Have your cleaned and sterilised jars sitting on a board.

A jam funnel (easily found at the supermarket) helps prevent mess.

Pour wellblended tomato sauce into hot jars and tighten the lids.

If storing for a while, make sure to label your jars or write the date with a permanent marker.

Done.

Tip: Add grated carrot for an extra vegetable boost. If you don’t have onions a leek works well, or just add leeks for more sneaky vege!