Devilled Sausages

My friend and I were reminiscing over this dish recently. What better way to enjoy your favourite sausage then simmered in a tangy, sweet and spicy sauce served over mash or rice. Now that the weather is finally cooling off, this is the perfectly lovely warming comfort food type of dish to start thinking about cooking.

Whether this was a childhood staple, or like me, your go to flat dinner when a poor university student, it's still just as tasty and satisfying. I historically always made it using the classic Maggi mix, but trust me, it's so much more satisfying (and surprisingly easy) making it from scratch. In fact you've probably already got most, if not all, of the ingredients at home.

You could just as easily cook this in slow cooker, brown the sausages (or not), and put in all other ingredients and leave on low for 4-6 hours. You could easily double this recipe to feed a crowd, or freeze leftovers to reheat on another day.



Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 6-8 good quality pork or beef sausages - I used Freedom Farms Pork & Fennel Sausage
• 2 small brown onions, sliced
• 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, peeled, halved lengthways and sliced thinly
• 1 1/2 cups boiled water
• 2 tsp beef or chicken stock powder (use beef for beef sausages/ chicken for pork) 
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder, or 1 tbsp prepared mustard
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp tomato sauce 
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tbsp cornflour (mixed with 1 tbsp water to form a smooth paste) 
• mashed potato or steamed rice, to serve

In a large saucepan with a lid, lightly brown the sausages in oil over a low heat. Once lightly browned, slice the sausages lengthways, or into smaller slices (which may be more suitable for children). 

Add the onion, apple, carrot, stir, then add the water, stock powder, soy sauce, curry powder, mustard, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Stir to combine, cover and reduce heat to as low as possible. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes till vegetables are softened and sausages are cooked through.

Add the frozen peas, and cornflour mix, simmer for another 3-5 minutes to thicken the sauce. 

Serve upon a bed of rice or mashed potato and tuck in!

Finger Licking Good: Chinese Style Ribs

Did someone say ribs? YES please! I mean seriously, who doesn't like tucking into a plate full of them - It's so cathartic. And to be honest, I've eaten tonnes of them, with all sorts of different seasonings, but these are up there with the best. 

The slow cooking is the key: Wrapping them in foil, and cooking for two hours locks in the moisture and flavour, and has the meat falling off the bone. While the glaze, sticky sweet and salty, leaves you begging for more! 

The recipe here is for 1.5kg worth and though you could easily half or double the recipe, this is a good amount of ribs for one sitting (perhaps only four servings if you really want to tuck in!). 

Though they take a long time in the oven, the actual work involved in making these is nothing, the biggest challenge being patience! Trust me - it's worth the wait. 

Ingredients (serves 6): 

• 1.5 kg rack of pork ribs
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp Chinese five spice
• 4 tbsp crushed garlic 
• 4 tbsp crushed ginger

Glaze

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil 
• 4 tbsp crushed garlic 
• 4 tbsp crushed ginger 
• 2 tsp Chinese five spice 
• 6 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp Chinese rice wine vinegar 
• 6 tbsp honey 
• 2 tsp Sriracha chilli sauce (optional - but highly recommended) 

To Serve

• Coriander leaves
• Cooked Rice, or bread rolls
• Slaw, or steamed greens 

Preheat the oven to 180•C. Line a large roasting dish with two layers of tin foil.*You might need two trays, if so, swap them around in the oven halfway through cooking. 

Rub the ribs with vegetable oil and Chinese five spice so it's well coated. Place flesh side up on the foil, and spread the crushed garlic and ginger over the top. Gently fold the foil around the ribs to seal them. Place in the hot oven for 2 hours. 

Meanwhile, heat the additional 2 tbsp oil in a small saucepan. Over a low heat, cook the garlic and ginger, stirring for a couple of minutes, till aromatic. Add the Chinese five spice, and cook, stirring for another minute. 

Stir in the soy sauce, rice, wine vinegar and honey. Simmer gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a blender or food processor. Puree till smooth. 

Return to the pan and bring back to the heat, taste, and add Sriracha sauce to taste. You could also add more soy or honey to taste if you want sweeter or saltier, but I think the ratio is pretty spot on once coating the ribs. 

After 2 hours, remove the ribs from the oven and open the package. Increase the heat to 200•C. Use a basting brush, or spoon, to liberally cover the rack of ribs with the glaze. Return to the oven for 8-10 minutes. 

Brush again with more glaze and return to the oven for another 2 minutes. You can repeat this part of the process as much as you like if you want a thicker richer glaze, but be sure to check it every minute or two. I usually only do this twice, and like to save a little sauce for the side. You can serve the additional glaze in a dipping bowl on the side, or pour it over your rice and steamed greens. 

Serve the ribs as a whole rack, or slice them into individual pieces. Remember to set up a pile of paper towels and maybe a finger bowl of iced water and lemon.