Sausage and Red Wine Casserole Recipe

A midwinter night's dream. An rich, deep sausage and red wine casserole recipe, steeped in seared bacon, shallots, and juniper offset  by undertones of red wine and sweet game notes of red current jelly. It's sitting in front of the hearth of an open fire. 

Prep Time: 45 Mins

Cook Time: 1 Hr

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 2-3 People

Ingredients

  • Sausages - 6 no.

  • Smoked Streaky Bacon - 6 rashes.

  • Shallots - 12 no. (or 1 no. large onion)

  • Garlic - 1 whole bulb

  • Mushrooms - 10 to 15 no.

  • Red Wine - 500ml

  • Red Current Jelly - 1.5 tbsp

  • Salted Butter - 2 tsp

  • Thyme - 1 tsp

  • Rosemary - 1 tsp

  • Juniper Berries - 8 no.

  • Bay Leaves - 2 no.

  • Mustard - 2 tsp

  • Salt & Pepper

To Serve (Optional)

  • Creamy Mashed Potato

  • Crispy Kale

Method

Sausage Casserole Step One - Roast the Garlic

Chop the head off the garlic, place on a piece of foil (big enough to wrap it in), sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper over, and place a teaspoon of butter on top.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°c (350°f, Gas Mark 4). Then cut off the top of the garlic bulb and remove any loose layers of skin. Put the garlic onto a sheet of foil (big enough to wrap it in) and top with a pinch of salt and pepper, plus a teaspoon of butter.

Wrap it in the foil and place in the oven for 45 minutes, until it caramelises.

 

Sausage Casserole Step Two - Sear the Bacon

Chop the bacon into pieces, and add to a pan on low-medium heat. Don't have the heat too high, we're trying to render out of it - which needs slow cooking. Aim to cook the bacon down over 15-20 minutes.

Whilst the bacon is cooking, it's a good time to skin the shallots and separate the sausages.

Once the bacon is cooked through (enough to put on a sandwich), remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. We want to leave the fat in the bottom of the pan for the sausages.

 

Sausage Casserole STEP Three - Brown the Sausages

In the same pan as the bacon was cooked in, add the sausages and cook over a low-medium heat. Waiting until each side is browned until turning over.

Don't worry about the pan bottom starting to blacken - that's where the flavour is for later!

You don't have to cook the sausages through (they'll get chance to cook later), so once they're browned all over, transfer them with a slotted spoon into the same bowl as the bacon is resting in.

 

 

Sausage Casserole STEP Four - Sear the shallots

Pour the shallot into the pan the sausages were cooking in and cook at a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally. The shallots will start to deglaze the pan.

Once they've started to brown and soften (about 10 minutes in), bring the heat up as high as it goes. Once the pan is hot through, pour the red wine into the pan. The additional heat lets the alcohol burn off quicker creating a sweeter flavour - it also helps deglaze the rest of the bottom of the pan.

Allow the wine to reduce by half at high heat (around 3-4 minutes), then lower the heat and add the thyme, rosemary, juniper berries and bay leaves, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Also add the sausage and bacon back into the pan. Stir and cover with an oven proof lid and place in the oven at  180°c (350°f, Gas Mark 4) for 30 minutes.

 

Sausage Casserole STEP Five - Add the Garlic & Mushrooms

Remove the garlic form the oven once it's caramelised and soft throughout. Let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove each of the cloves from the skin and crush with the back of a spoon into a paste.

Stir the the roast garlic paste and chopped mushrooms through the casserole 30 minutes of the way through cooking, tasting the sauce and adding any additional seasoning or herbs as required.

Place the casserole back in the over for another 30 minutes.

 

 

Sausage Casserole STEP Six - The finishing Touches

After the hour of cooking, take the casserole out of the oven. Transfer the sausages into a bowl using a slotted spoon. and place the the pan with the rest of the casserole in it on a hob on low heat.

Add the red currant jelly and mustard to the pan and stir through. Taste the sauce again and add any additional seasoning or herbs as required.

Once you're happy with the sauce levels add the sausages back in.

 

 

Sausage Casserole STEP Seven - Sausage and Red Wine Casserole

Heat the sausages back through and that's it - ready to serve.

I'd recommend serving with creamy mash (using butter, olive oil, and salt) and crispy kale - kale, with the stalks stripped, baked uncovered in the over for 20-25 at 180°c (350°f, Gas Mark 4).

The casserole can be held in the over up to another 3-4 hours at 140°c (275°f, Gas Mark 1) if required.

Hope you enjoy!