Adding bacon to a sausage casserole before it simmers can make the dish taste noticeably better, according to award-winning food blogger Chris of recipe website Don't Go Bacon My Heart.
Chris says bacon is the ingredient that most sausage casserole recipes overlook, and it delivers a rich, smoky flavour that complements the sausages.
The secret ingredient
Chris said: "Bacon pumps heaps of gorgeous, smoky flavour into the sauce and pairs beautifully with the sausages."
Some cooks choose smoked lardons for extra depth, though unsmoked lardons work too, just with a milder taste.
Alongside the bacon, Chris recommends using chunky sausages that can hold their own in the casserole. He said: "I recommend some 'neutral' flavoured sausages, just because there's so much surrounding flavour; you don't want too many distractions within the sausage."
Ingredients and method
The recipe serves four and uses 12 pork sausages, four slices of back bacon, three carrots, one large onion, two cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of tomato purée, 120ml of red wine, 720ml of beef stock, a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, two bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary, two to three sprigs of thyme, 400g of baby potatoes, two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and salt and pepper.
Start by heating olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Fry the sausages until deep golden brown with a light char, then set them aside. Add the bacon to the remaining oil and fry until it colours. Add the carrots and onion, fry for three to four minutes until the onion softens, then add the garlic for one minute. Stir in the tomato purée, fry for one to two minutes, then pour in the red wine and simmer for two minutes until it reduces.
Pour in the stock, then add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and the sausages. Stir well, scraping the base of the pan, then bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for one hour and 30 minutes. Remove the lid, stir, and simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove the herb sprigs and bay leaves, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
