I have finally made it out of the miserable grips of the Alps lurgy, and after a week pretty much under the duvet, I'm desperate to cook and more importantly eat! The weather has turned snowy and dark again, and some serious comfort food is needed. The Kiwi will be home at about 9pm and man that boy can eat, so, some alone time in my kitchen is much needed... and seeing he's been so sweet this week by rustling up a homemade veggie soup and bringing me an endless supply of cups of tea and chocolate whilst watching millions of episodes of 'Sex and the City' with me, (what a man!) I think a nice dinner is owed!
I miss good old English grub like sausage and mash! (that's for you Saf!) I once got Salmonella from a hot dog van but hey whats one dodgy sausage?! It'll take more than that to put me off the greatly underrated banger!
I find it difficult to find good sausages in these parts, at home they are so easily accessible from all supermarkets and butchers that the choice is limitless and we really do take how great they can be for granted! Unfortunately here it isn't so simple, that now popping out to get a nice pack of sausages really would be a luxury to me!!
Today I managed to find the choice of 3 types.. Toulouse, Merguez and Chipolatas.
I have decided to go for the Toulouse, as its the meatiest of the three, made from coarsely cut pork, wine and garlic.
I'm thinking a Toulouse sausage and lentil casserole with a thyme potato gratin...?
I have just bought another book from my favourite food writer and cook. Nigel Slater 'The Kitchen Diaries'. This fabulous mouth-watering book is as much a great read as it is a cookbook, and it's as if Nigel knew I was gonna go all sausagey, because right there on P29 'Sausage with Salami and lentils'. Not only the excitement of a new cookbook but its Nigel's and a recipe of exactly what I was looking for!
Photo by Jonathan Lovekin
Here Nigel Slater 'salutes the salami'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2002/mar/03/foodanddrink.recipes
This meaty man food is perfect for the soon to be returning hungry Kiwi, it couldn't be easier to make and is packed full of simple rustic flavour that personally I can't fault it. Yes lots of other sausage casseroles swear by wine and stock, which do not appear on this recipe, but that gives it room to play around with another time if you feel like adding your own stamp to Nigel's recipe. Although..whats that old saying? If something ain't broke..then don't fix it!!
This one pot meal is complete with a fresh chunk of crusty bread perfect for soaking up that gravy...
However, as I have noticed from eating out here in France, so often meat is served with a potato gratin on the side. And so embracing my French traditions of the Alps I will serve Nigel's casserole with this luxurious creamy herbed gratin!
The gratin is simple to make.. thinly cut potatoes, cream, milk, garlic, with bay leaves and fresh thyme, seasoned and topped off with grated Parmesan and ...BAM...
delicious dauphinois in under an hour!
The great thing about this is if thyme or bay isn't your first choice of flavour then you can swap it to whatever takes your fancy! Perfectly adaptable for any mouth, and I guarantee there will be no complaints. So more-ish in fact that even after you think you are full you may well find yourself sneaking back into the kitchen for another forkful!
Nothing more to say, just warm, wintery and washed down with a nice glass of red!
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