Bratwurst and Spinach Casoulet

A fabulous dish which is easy to prepare. Bratwurst sausage bought  from Aldi (a pack of six, of which I used three here).

Cut the Bratwurst into roundels (six for each sausage). Then cut the roundels diagonally, so that they are wedge shaped. Cook them in a little sunflower oil in a flat pan, until they begin to brown (seven to ten minutes, stirring frequently). Remove the sausage pieces from the pan.

Add the mushrooms (quartered), the potatoes (also cut into wedge shapes), the red onion, the spring onion (two, diced), half a red pepper, diced, and chopped spinach leaves. Stir-fry for about seven minutes until the onions begin to caramelise.

Bring about 400mls of water to the boil, and add to the pan. Add two teaspoonfuls of onion gravy granules and stir through thoroughly for a minute or so, and then put the Bratwurst wedges back in the pan. Add a little oregano and marjoram also (the sausages derive some of their distinctive flavour from marjoram).

Cook under glass for at least 45 minutes at a low heat.

Chillied Bratwurst Sausage Casoulet, with Leek and Tomato

A simple casoulet, made with two chopped bratwurst sausages (made with chilli and one of the options available from Aldi), potato chunks, shredded tomato (3), and a large leek. The green beans were added last (about 100g), since they take very little time to cook.

I browned the bratwurst pieces first in some sunflower oil in a sautee pan. While that was going on, I cut the leek into four lengthwise, and then chopped it into smallish pieces. Added to the pan with the shredded tomato. I prepared the potato, and then added half a pint of boiling water to the pan along with the potato pieces. Cooked at a low heat under glass for about an hour.

After that, I added some vegetable stock, and some Quixo onion gravy granules (a dessert spoonful), which was also bought in Aldi. As well as imparting flavour to the dish, it also functions as a thickener. Thoroughly stirred the mix together before leaving it to simmer under glass for another fifteen minutes.

Finally the diced and washed green beans were added to the pan, and allowed to cook at a low heat for between five and ten minutes. Delicious! Almost as good as bratwurst cooked with onions and peppers!

Bratwurst Sausage, Pepper & Mushroom Stew

Diced Bratwurst sausage (each cut into 5 or 6 pieces), with garlic and green chilli in a tomato sauce with onion, green pepper, green beans, and chopped mushrooms.

The sausage pieces were fried slowly in sunflower oil until golden brown. Then the vegetables were added to the pan. Cooked under glass for another ten minutes at a low heat.

Add the tomato sauce (passata or puree) and  vegetable stock, and simmer gently under glass for half an hour, stirring occasionally.  I added some dried coriander and basil (optional).

Served with salted boiled potato pieces.

Bratwurst, Onion & Peppers

 Bratwurst sausage (with chilli) from Aldi, with onions and peppers (2 halves) served with a teaspoonful of English Mustard.

Pierce the bratwurst in a random pattern with a sharp knife. Begin cooking at a high heat, and then reduce to a low heat. Brown around as much of the sausage as possible (tricky, because of the shape of the sausage). After ten minutes, add the diced onion and peppers. Stir every five minutes or so, and cook under an angled lid for twenty to twenty five minutes.

Since Bratwurst is a German variety of sausage, it can of course be served with German mustard. Delicious in either case!