SAUSAGES WITH ONION & CIDER GRAVY

SAUSAGES WITH ONION & CIDER GRAVY image

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 lbs (18 to 24) English or breakfast sausage
1 to 2 Tbs vegetable oil
FOR THE ONION AND CIDER GRAVY:
8 oz onions (about 2)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 firm, tart apple
Scant Tbs light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp English mustard powder
1 scant Tbs all purpose flour
2 C hot meat stock
2/3 cup cider, heated

Steps:

To cook sausages, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place them on a large baking pan with a little oil and bake for around 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Peel, halve, and slice the onions into very thin half moons. Heat the oil in a wide saucepan, add the onions and cook slowly for about 10 minutes until they are very soft. Peel, core and finely chop the apple and add to the onion, stirring around for another 5 minutes. Turn up the heat and add the sugar, cooking over a high flame for 3 minutes. It doesn't really matter whether you choose light or dark sugar, but dark will give a warmer color. Stir in the mustard powder and flour and stir while you let the flour cook a little. Take the pan off the heat briefly as, still stirring, you pour in the hot stock and cider, then bring back to a boil, stirring all the time. The meat stock doesn't matter, but I prefer beef. Simmer the gravy gently for about 30 minutes; it will thicken the apple and the apple should melt into the sauce.