I used to hate cooking sausages because they always ended up dry and charred, but I discovered a simple trick that helps make them juicy and full of flavour without any extra effort.
Why Poaching Sausages Works
Sausages are the ultimate comfort food, whether you're putting together a satisfying breakfast bap or pairing them with velvety mashed potatoes for your evening meal. Yet, I used to avoid cooking sausages altogether because I couldn't stand frying them; the oil would spit and splatter across the pan, coating every nearby kitchen surface in grease.
Not only did I grow weary of scrubbing down the messy hob, but I also frequently found that frying left the sausages burnt, dry, and unpleasantly greasy. After browsing a few recipes, I learned that sausages tend to lose their taste when cooked at high temperatures, as the intense heat causes the meat to shed its flavoursome juices.
Fortunately, there's a straightforward trick to keeping sausages succulent on the inside and golden on the outside, and it begins with ditching the oil in favour of a chicken stock cube.
What is the Best Way to Cook Sausages?
It may seem unusual, but many cooks opt to poach sausages before finishing them off properly. This simply involves gently simmering them in water with a chicken stock cube for several minutes before browning them in the oven, frying pan, or on the barbecue, reports the Express.
Sausages are fairly thick, and when fried in oil over a high flame, the exterior tends to cook considerably faster than the interior, which can cause the skin to burst and allow the juices and fat to escape. Consequently, sausages can end up dry, unevenly cooked, and frequently charred on the outside while still undercooked within.
Poaching, however, helps retain moisture by allowing the inside to reach a safe temperature, ensuring a far more even cook throughout. This enables the sausages to cook more gradually, locking in all the natural juices, resulting in a far more flavoursome end product than conventional methods typically deliver.
Having first come across this approach on a butcher's website last year and given it a go myself, I can vouch for it producing considerably tastier sausages and for it having since become my go-to cooking method. While poaching may seem like more effort, it generally takes under 10 minutes, and I've found it considerably less stressful than frying.
How to Poach Sausages
You will need:
- A pack of sausages
- A little water
- One chicken stock cube
Poaching sausages in plain water is perfectly acceptable, though adding a stock cube introduces extra herbs and seasoning, significantly enhancing the overall flavour. The sausages will develop a richer, deeper taste simply by incorporating an ingredient you most likely already have sitting in your kitchen cupboard. On occasion, I also enjoy adding a dash of beer and fresh herbs to the water, though this largely depends on what ingredients I have available.
Method:
- Begin by preheating the oven to 200°C and lining a baking tray with baking paper.
- Place the sausages in a pan and pour in just enough water to cover them halfway, along with a chicken stock cube.
- Place the pan over a medium heat and gradually bring the water to a gentle simmer. Take care not to allow it to boil vigorously, as this may cause the sausages to split.
- Once simmering, lower the heat slightly and cook the sausages gently for approximately 8 minutes, until they are firm and cooked through. They won't appear appetising and golden at this stage, but remain patient, as the end result will look mouth-watering.
- Once the sausages are prepared, transfer them to the oven and cook for 12 to 20 minutes, until browned.
Sausages will be crispier and more golden if you stop frying them.
