Sausages

All hail the sausage. Perhaps I should clarify: all hail the high meat content butcher’s sausages.

Sausage making is going through a renaissance in Ireland. Butchers in Dublin sell Romanian and Polish Sausages (smoked and regular), Whelans on Parnell St. make Boerwurst, Halal butchers have Merguez and if you pass through Gort in Co. Galway you will find Brazilian Pork and Garlic sausages.

Pork is still the king, but many are using ingredients like Venison (JJ Young, Celbridge), Wild Boar (Downeys, Terenure) and of course chicken, beef and lamb.

JJ Young’s Butchers in Celbridge and Clane Business Park (good value factory shop) recently won Supreme Sausage Champion at the Craft Butchers Awards for their Beef and Guinness Sausage – a dense meaty sausage with lots of beef flavour and some dark hints of malt.

Young’s Venison sausages are also worth a try as are their Dinner Sausages, not to mention their dry cured bacon.

Expand your repertoire by mixing garlic sausages with a tomato and onion pasta sauce, a Cassoulet, or serve Bangers and Mash (like every bistro in the country).

Toad in the Hole
I like this best with beef or venison sausages.

Ingredients: 500g JJ Young Beef and Guinness Sausages, 1 large mug of Eggs, 1 large mug of Flour, pinch of Salt, 1 large mug of Milk and Water (half and half), 1tbs Malt Vinegar, 60g fat (dripping, duck fat or oil).

Set oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Break eggs into the mug until it is almost full and add to a bowl with half the milk/water. Beat well, sift in the flour and whisk again until all the lumps have disappeared.

Add the rest of the liquid and the malt vinegar and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

Melt the fat in a pan, separate the sausages and fry them gently for 8-10 min. until brown on all sides.

Add the sausages and fat to a baking dish and pour over the batter. Bake for 30 minutes.