Poaching sausages in water with a stock cube before roasting makes them more succulent and flavoursome than frying in oil, a method tested and confirmed by a writer.
A better way to cook sausages
Frying sausages is the conventional method, but it often leads to burned, slimy results and messy kitchens. One writer, Katherine McPhillips, found that cooking sausages in stock instead of oil produces a tastier dish.
McPhillips discovered the technique on a butcher's blog and tried it herself. She says the method makes sausages significantly tastier and she now won't cook them any other way.
Why poaching works
Sausages are dense, and when fried, the hot oil cooks the outer casing faster than the meat inside, causing the casing to split. Juices and fat seep into the pan, making the sausages dry and greasy.
Poaching cooks the sausages gently first, then they are finished with higher heat to brown evenly and keep juices locked inside. Adding stock cubes provides more seasoning, resulting in a tastier dish.
How to cook better sausages
You will need: one pack of sausages, one chicken stock cube, and cold water.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a tray with baking paper. Place the sausages in a pan on the hob, pour in enough water to reach halfway up the sausages, and add the stock cube. Avoid covering the sausages entirely to prevent boiling.
Set the hob to medium heat until the water simmers. If it bubbles vigorously, the temperature is too high. Reduce to medium-low and cook for eight minutes until firm. The sausages may look grey, but the end result will be crispy.
Transfer the sausages to the prepared tray and roast for about 20 minutes. The result is golden, flavoursome sausages that are far tastier than fried ones.
