Sausage, Prune and Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet and savoury are two flavours that don’t just balance but enhance one another, and this recipe makes the most of it. The three savoury elements are sausage, yeast extract and speckled lentils. The sweetness comes from prunes, fresh apricot and sweet potato. Combine all that, along with a splash of red wine, and this casserole becomes one of the most tasty and easy one-pot-wonders I’ve cooked for a long time. I also can’t believe I just used the term “one-pot-wonder” but it articulates my point perfectly. So get your pot and a pack of sausages.

For this recipe, you will need to find sausages that are porky. Whatever your dietary choices are, it is hugely important that you source the best quality sausages you can as these make the backbone to your casserole. If you happen to have some spinach, chard or kale you want to add for a bit of green, I’d recommend chopping it up and adding it right at the end of cooking as the residual heat from the casserole is enough to cook it.

Casserole Recipe
Serves 4

• 8 Large sausages

• 1 White onion

• 150ml Red wine (young and fruity)

• 1tsp Yeast extract

• 2 Sweet potatoes, diced

• 1 Carrot, diced

• 1ltr Stock

• 2 Handfuls of speckled lentils (I instinctively forgot to weigh them sorry)

• 50g Prunes (fresh or dry)

• 2 Apricots, fresh and diced

• 1 Bay leaf

• Optional: Chopped sage or flat leaf parsley to serve

Step 1.

Place an oven proof dish with a fitting lid over a medium heat on the hob. Add your sausages and start to brown them off with a splash of oil and seasoning. Whilst they cook, dice your onion and carrot and add them to the pot as soon as they’re ready so they can sauté in the fat released by the sausages.

Dice your sweet potatoes next into 1cm cubes. Add them to the pot as your onion turns translucent and allow them to colour before moving to the next stage.

Step 2.

Preheat your oven at 190C / 375F. Add your lentils to the pot and give them 4-5 minutes to fry along with the rest of the ingredients. After they have fried (turning a slightly lighter colour), deglaze the pan with the red wine and let it reduce as you prepare the apricots by removing the stones and finely dicing them.

Add all of the remaining ingredients, including the stock to the pot and give it a good stir, scraping off any stickiness that may have clung to the bottom. Place the lid on and put the whole thing in the oven for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes, remove the lid and return the pot to the oven for a further 50-60 minutes to reduce and darken. Serve with a chunk of sourdough and cheese.

Note:

I suggest planning this meal whilst you have other things to get on with. It’s the perfect dish to spend 5 minutes on, then abandon whilst you put your feet up or read a book. A word of warning though, as it cooks the smell will drive you wild. Prepare for this by sampling your cheese but abstain from spoiling your appetite!