Rutland Ale Braised Sausages
Plump butcher's pork sausages gently simmered in a rich, malty Rutland bitter gravy with sweet caramelised onions.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep frying pan or shallow casserole dish
- •Tongs
- •Wooden spoon
- •Measuring jug
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 34 g
- carbs
- 16 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 21 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
- 2
Add the sausages and fry for 8 minutes, turning frequently until nicely browned all over.
- 3
Transfer the browned sausages to a plate and set aside.
- 4
Melt the butter in the same pan over medium-low heat.
- 5
Add the sliced onions and cook gently for 15 minutes until soft, sweet, and golden brown.
- 6
Sprinkle the plain flour over the onions and stir well for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour.
- 7
Pour in the Rutland bitter, scraping the pan base with a wooden spoon to deglaze (lift cooked juices).
- 8
Stir in the beef stock, English mustard, dark brown sugar, and thyme sprigs.
- 9
Return the browned sausages and any resting juices back into the simmering gravy.
- 10
Simmer uncovered over low heat for 20 minutes until the gravy is rich, dark, and glossy.
- 11
Discard the thyme woody stems, taste the gravy, and season with salt and black pepper before serving.
Chef's tips
Cook the onions gently and patiently; deep golden caramelisation provides essential natural sweetness against the hoppy bitter. Choose a malt-forward English bitter rather than a heavily hopped modern IPA to prevent harsh bitterness in the reduced sauce.
Ingredient substitutions
- Rutland bitter → Any traditional English amber ale or bitter
- English mustard → Wholegrain mustard
- rich beef stock → Rich vegetable stock or chicken stock
Storage
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat on the hob with a splash of water until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the gravy vigorously, which makes the ale taste unpleasantly bitter and toughens the sausage skins.
- •Rushing the onion cooking stage before adding the beer, leaving them pale and lacking flavour.
- •Using a dry, heavily citrus-hopped craft IPA instead of a classic malty British bitter.
Serving suggestions
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