BANGERS AND DESIGNER MASH!

Honey glazed sausages with basil infused mashed potato

Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 30 minutes Serves: 6 people

Cook the sausages while your prepare the mashed potato.

This is a really simple dish that the whole family will enjoy. The sausages are cooked in roughly equal quantities of honey and extra virgin olive oil and it works well with all varieties of sausages even vegetarian ones.

When choosing potatoes for mashing, as a general rule, potatoes that chip well mash well. King Edwards are particularly good for mashing.
Flavouring mashed potato can either be influenced by:-
1) Introducing an additional root vegetable like swede, parsnip, carrots, sweet potato, celeriac etc
2) Adding herbs and spices. The well –known green herbs like basil, mint, coriander, parsley and spices such as saffron, cumin, coriander and chilli are rather popular.
3) Adding flavoured oils like walnut, sesame, pumpkin and infused herb olive oils produce the most delicious mashed potato.

When deciding what flavour to add to your mashed potato always keeps it relevant to the main dish. Too many flavours together spoil the overall effect.

Ingredients

• 12 sausages
• 6 tablespoons clear honey
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 900g (2lb) King Edward Potatoes – peeled and quartered
• 30g (1oz) fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 30g (1oz) vegetable margarine
• Salt and pepper - to taste
• A bunch of basil – for garnish

Method

1) Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/ Gas mark 6.
2) Prick and cut the sausages into 4cm (2-inch) lengths and then pour over the honey and olive oil.
3) Cook for 20 minutes, remove from the oven, turn the sausages over and cook for an additional 5- 10 minutes or until nicely browned.
4) Boil the potatoes in boiling, salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain them and then return to the pan over the heat to remove any excess moisture. Using a potato or rice masher purees them and mixes in the margarine.
5) Place the olive oil into a food process or finely chop the basil and then mix in the oil and finally combine into the potato mixture. Season with plenty of salt and pepper.

To serve the stylish way

Either pipe or spoon the potatoes onto warmed plates and sit the sausages on top. Garnish with a sprig of basil.

For more information about my recipes or to purchase my book, The Book of Jewish Cooking, published by Salamander Books $12.00, please click into www.jewishcookery.com