Our Cookbook

British

Sausage and mash with red cabbage

Browned bangers with creamy mash and rich onion gravy, served with slow-braised spiced red cabbage and apple.

  • YieldServes 4
  • Prep20m
  • Cook2h 30m
  • Effortweekend

Braised red cabbage

  • 500g red cabbage, finely shredded
  • 225g onions, chopped small
  • 225g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped very small
  • a good grating of nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
  • a pinch of ground cloves
  • 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1.5 tbsp wine vinegar
  • 10g butter
  • salt and pepper

Sausages and mash

  • 0.5 tbsp oil
  • 8 pork sausages
  • 1.5kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 125ml milk, warmed

Onion gravy

  • 1 large onion, halved and finely sliced
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp plain flour
  • 480ml beef stock (low-salt)

Method

Braised red cabbage (start first)

  1. Preheat the oven to 150ºC. In a casserole, layer the shredded cabbage (seasoned with salt and pepper) alternately with the onions, apples, garlic, spices and sugar.
  2. Pour over the wine vinegar and dot the top with the butter. Cover tightly and braise for 2-2½ hours, stirring occasionally, until soft and sweet.

Sausages and mash

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook the sausages, turning, until browned all over and cooked through (about 8 minutes). Remove to a plate.
  2. Put the potatoes in a large pot with a generous tablespoon of salt and water to cover by 10cm. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until very soft.
  3. Drain well, return to the pot for 1 minute to dry, then mash with the butter, warm milk and ½ tsp salt until smooth.

Onion gravy

  1. Reduce the sausage pan to a medium heat, leaving about 2 tbsp fat (top up with butter if needed). Add the onion and garlic and cook until golden, about 4 minutes.
  2. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock, starting with a splash to make a paste, then the rest, stirring out lumps. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened and season.
  3. Serve the sausages with mash, onion gravy and the braised red cabbage alongside.

Notes

The braised red cabbage reheats and freezes well, so it’s worth making extra.