Sausage & Mash with Onion Gravy

Ingredients

• 8 pork sausages
• 900g potatoes, peeled and cut
• 100ml milk, warmed
• 50g unsalted butter
• 300ml hot beef stock
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Buttered greens or peas, to serve

Method

1. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and simmer the potatoes until a knife slips through with no resistance, about 15–18 minutes. Drain well and leave to steam-dry in the colander while you carry on.
2. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat with a little oil and cook the sausages, turning every few minutes, until deeply golden all over and cooked through — about 12–14 minutes. The juices should run clear and they should feel springy when pressed. Lift onto a warm plate to rest.
3. Tip the sliced onions into the same pan with a little more oil if needed and cook over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they collapse into a jammy, deeply caramelised tangle the colour of dark toffee.
4. Stir the flour into the onions and cook for 1 minute to take the rawness off, then gradually whisk in the hot beef stock until you have a glossy gravy. Add the Worcestershire sauce and thyme, if using, and simmer for 4–5 minutes until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste.
5. Mash the potatoes with the butter and warmed milk until silky and smooth, beating well so they hold their shape on the spoon. Check the seasoning — mash always wants more salt than you think.
6. Spoon a generous mound of mash onto each warmed plate, settle two sausages on top and ladle over plenty of the onion gravy so it pools around the edges.