Scott’s recipe for Cider-Braised Sausages with Creamy Celeriac Mash

For this dish, good, properly made butcher sausages will work best.  Befriend your local artisan, and you’ll never look at a supermarket banger again Cumberland works great, but in general, look for a larger sausage and consider one per person rather than multiple smaller ones.

Celeriac is a surprisingly versatile ingredient.  It can be grated finely and enjoyed raw in slaws or remoulades, pureed into silky smooth soups and sauces, or roasted and sliced into elegant vegetarian steaks.

Or, you can turn it into a fantastic, luxurious mash.  You’ll want to let it cook a bit longer than usual, so give yourself plenty of time.  A simple potato mash works great too.  Either can be made ahead of time and just reheat when you’re ready!

A sharp knife is more effective for prepping celeriac than a peeler due to its coarse, tough skin.  Alternatively, if time permits, you can entirely avoid this problem by roasting the celeriac whole until it reaches perfect softness.  When it’s cool enough to handle you can half it and scoop out the middle.  Mash the roasted celeriac with the cooked potato and it will be superb.

As you start to build the sauce you can absolutely use veg/sunflower oil, but I typically opt for beef dripping or butter.  After gently colouring the sausages, you’ll use the rendered fat to caramelise the onions, combine with the flour and cook with the cider to create a sophisticated, sticky sauce that will pull the whole dish together.

Sauces are often the most important part of a slow cooked dish.  If it looks too thin be patient and allow the roux and heat of the cooking to naturally thicken the dish.  If it’s too thick, add a few splashes of water to achieve the consistency you want.

Ingredients

To serve 4 (easily)

• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil or Beef Dripping
• 4 high-quality, large Pork Sausages (e.g., pork and apple, or Cumberland)
• 1 large Onion, sliced finely
• 2 Cooking Apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped (you can use a tin of apples if you want)
• 2 Tbsp Plain Flour
• 250ml ml dry Cider & 250ml chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Runny Honey
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 80 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste

For the Celeriac Mash

• 1 large Celeriac Root (approx. 800g)
• 2 large Potatoes (e.g., Maris Piper or King Edward)
• 50g Unsalted Butter
• 50ml Double Cream (or whole milk)
• Pinch of Fresh Nutmeg (grated)
• Salt and White Pepper to taste

Methodology

Preparation

Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F).

Building flavours

1. Developing flavours:  Heat the oil or dripping in a large, oven-safe casserole dish or a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the sausages and gently brown them well on all sides (about 5–7 minutes).  Be careful not to burst the skins.  Remove the sausages and set them aside.
2. Sauté:  Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt to the residual fat in the pan.  Cook gently for about 10 – 12 minutes until soft and caramelised.  Add the roughly chopped apples and cook for another 3 minutes.

Create the Braising Sauce

1. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and apples and stir for a couple of minutes – this cooks out the raw flour taste and will thicken the sauce.
2. Deglaze:  Pour in the cider (or wine), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift any browned bits.  Bring to a simmer and reduce by a third.
3. Season:  Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, honey (or brown sugar), bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper.
4. Braise:  Return the sausages to the pan.  The liquid should mostly cover them.  Bring back to a simmer on the hob, then cover the dish tightly with a lid.  Transfer to the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Prepare the Celeriac Mash

1. Prep:  While the sausages braise, peel and chop the celeriac and potatoes into roughly equal-sized chunks.
2. Boil:  Place the celeriac and potato chunks into a large saucepan and cover them with cold, well salted water.  Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until both are super tender.
3. Drain:  Drain the vegetables thoroughly and let them steam dry in the colander for a few minutes.
4. Combine:  In a clean pan, melt the butter and add the double cream salt, white pepper and nutmeg.  Add the hot vegetables to the pan.  Beat together until the butter and cream is fully incorporated.
5. Mash:  Use a potato ricer or a sturdy masher to mash the mixture until it is perfectly smooth and creamy.

Finish and Serve

1. Check Sauce:  If the sauce in the casserole dish looks too thin after braising, remove the sausages, place them on a plate, and return the pan to the hob.  Simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce the sauce to a rich, sticky consistency.  If it’s too thick add a bit of stock or water.
2. Once you are happy with the consistency and ready to serve, add a splash of double cream, and the wholegrain mustard, toss through some fresh parsley.
3. Serve:  Spoon a generous mound of the creamy celeriac mash onto warmed plates.  Arrange the sticky cider-braised sausages on top or beside the mash, and ladle the rich sauce, apples, and onions over everything.
4. Garnish:  A further sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives and a few cracks of black pepper will finish the dish.

Chef’s Finishing Touch: The Power of Acid

In her brilliant book, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat teaches that balance is key to any great dish, and the final touch is often forgotten.  After braising, these sausages will offer a rich and deep flavour profile (plenty of fat and umami).  However, richness without balance can feel heavy.

Before serving, taste the finished sauce and consider a small adjustment.  If it tastes a little flat, the answer is usually ACID.  A squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a splash of good Apple Cider Vinegar stirred into the sauce after it has come off the heat will instantly brighten the entire plate.  This cuts through the fat from the sausage and the sweetness of the cider, making all the flavours truly pop.

Enjoyed this recipe?

Did you enjoy the recipe as much as Chef Scott does?  Scott is the Chef at our Luxury Foodie Experience holidays at the amazing Penicuik Estate near Edinburgh.

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