Sausages With Mashed Potatoes, Beer and Onion Gravy and Mustard

Ingredients

• 8 links pork sausage
• English mustard, to serve

For the gravy

• 1 1/2 lbs onions, sliced thinly
• 1 pinch sugar
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 ounce butter
• 1 teaspoon plain flour
• 2 1/4 cups brown ale
• 2 1/4 cups beef broth
• 1/2 star anise
• 2 cloves
• 2 fresh bay leaves

For the mashed potatoes

• 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 ounces butter
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. 1

   To make the beer and onion gravy, heat the oil and the butter in a large, heavy based saucepan.

2. 2

   Add the onions and sugar and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and richly caramelised.

3. 3

   Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

4. 4

   Stir in the beer, beef broth, star anise, cloves and bay leaves and boil vigorously until reduced to a rich, glossy sauce - about 20 minutes in a large sauté pan.

5. 5

   Remove the star anise, bayleaves and cloves (if you can find them) from the gravy and season to taste with some salt and pepper.

6. 6

   For the sausages and mashed potato, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 minutes until soft.

7. 7

   Then after about 10 minutes, heat the oil for the sausages in a large frying pan.

8. 8

   Add the sausages and fry them over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning now and then, until nicely browned and cooked through.

9. 9

   Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth - a potato ricer does this really well.

10. 10

    Beat in the butter with some seasoning and enough milk to make a smooth, creamy mash.

11. 11

    Spoon the mashed potatoes onto warmed plates and rest the sausages alongside.

12. 12

    Pour over some of the gravy and serve with a good spoonful of English mustard.