Cheese and Leek Sausages with Tomato, Garlic and Chili Sauce Recipes

Ingredients :

25g butter

175g leeks, finely chopped

90ml cold mashed potato

115g fresh white or wholemeal breadcrumbs

150g grated Caerphilly, Lancashire or Cantal cheese

30ml chopped fresh parsley

5ml chopped fresh sage or marjoram

2 large eggs, beaten

cayenne pepper

65g white breadcrumbs

oil for shallow frying

salt and freshly ground black pepper

for the Sauce

30ml olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 red chili, seeded and finely chopped, or a good pinch of dried red chili flakes

1 small onion, finely chopped

500g tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

few fresh thyme sprigs

10ml balsamic or red wine vinegar

pinch of light muscovado sugar

15-30ml chopped fresh marjoram or oregano

Method :

Melt the butter and fry the leeks for 4-5 minutes until softened but not browned. Mix with the mashed potato, fresh breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley and sage or marjoram. Add sufficient beaten egg (about two thirds of the quantity) to bind the mixture. Season well with salt and pepper and add a good pinch of cayenne.

Shape the mixture into 12 sausage shapes. Dip in the remaining egg, then coat in the dry breadcrumbs. Chill the coated sausages. To make the sauce, heat the oil over a low heat and cook the garlic, chili and onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme and vinegar. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.

Cook the sauce for 40-50 minutes until much reduced. Remove the thyme and purée the sauce in a blender. Reheat with the marjoram or oregano, then adjust the seasoning to taste, adding more sugar, if necessary. Fry the sausages in shallow oil until they are golden brown on all sides. Drain on kitchen paper and serve with the sauce.

These sausages are also delicious served with garlic mayonnaise or a confit of slow cooked onion. These are based on the Welsh speciality of Glamorgan sausage, which are traditionally made using breadcrumbs alone. The deliciously spicy sauce adds an extra dimension.

Serves 4

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