Description
Gently cooked pork sausages served with red wine and onion gravy. The red wine gravy makes a perfect sauce for sausages!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sausages
- 8 pork sausages
- 1 tablespoon oil, for frying
Mashed Potatoes
- 3.5 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
Red Wine Onion Gravy
- 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 1/4 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (optional)
- 2 1/4 cups beef broth
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons redcurrant jelly
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 1/4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Sausages: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Arrange the sausages on a baking sheet and bake until fully cooked, about 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Alternatively, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the sausages until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature of the sausages should reach 160°F (71°C) when they're done.
- Prepare the Mash: While the sausages are cooking, boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and return them to the pot. Add the milk and 2 tablespoons of butter, and mash until smooth. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Keep warm.
- Make the Red Wine Onion Gravy: Melt 4½ tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the 3 large red onions and 2¼ teaspoons of sugar. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply caramelized. The slow caramelization is crucial for a richly flavored gravy.
- Pour in ½ cup of dry red wine and add 2 sprigs of fresh thyme. Increase the heat to bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the wine to reduce and intensify the flavor.
- Stir in 2¼ cups of beef broth and 1¼ teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes, enabling the flavors to meld into a savory base.
- Remove the thyme sprigs. Prepare a slurry by combining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with an equal amount of water. Whisk in 1½ tablespoons of dark balsamic vinegar and 1½ teaspoons of redcurrant jelly into the gravy. Stir in the cornstarch slurry. Continue simmering for another 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, until the gravy thickens to a silky consistency.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and whisk in 2¼ tablespoons of cold unsalted butter until the gravy is smooth and has a glossy finish.
- Finally, season the gravy with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning as needed, keeping in mind the gravy's rich flavors when pairing with your main dish.
- To Serve: Plate a generous helping of the creamy mashed potatoes, top with the cooked sausages, and generously ladle over the refined red onion gravy.
Notes
- Caramelizing Onions: The slow caramelization of onions is crucial for the gravy's depth of flavor. Patience here rewards you with a rich, sweet base.
- Deglazing: Scraping up the browned bits after adding wine is essential for incorporating all the savory flavors into your gravy.
- Mash Consistency: For creamier mashed potatoes, warm the milk before mixing and consider using a potato ricer for a smoother texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: British