This is one of those hearty, economical recipes for when you want to rustle up something a bit special – a satisfying, tasty supper dish made with everyday ingredients.

I’m generally adverse to sausages as they fall into the category of ‘processed foods’ unless they’re a gourmet, additive-free variety.

Back in the UK, I was lucky enough to have a local village butcher (complete with striped apron, sawdust on the floor, an array of wild game hanging outside and who took orders in October for a Christmas Goose weighing no more than *9lbs, as they were barely hatched at that point) … who made his own sausages.

They were the best sausages I’ve ever tasted and since I no longer have access to his smoked duck, wild boar, venison and juniper or free range pork with quince, I rarely eat them these days.

However, you can use a good Italian-style sweet sausage made by ‘Boulder Sausage’ as they’re completely natural (or whatever takes your fancy if you live near a Wholefood’s) – but I won’t be held responsible for the end result if you use mass produced, nitrate-loaded, mystery meat **bangers in this recipe.

If you’re in the UK or Europe, you have excellent sausages, so have at it!

Notes:

Leave out the sausages for a great side dish to accompany grilled lamb or baked fish.

*If you buy a goose, the general rule of thumb is that any weight over 9 lbs (4 kilos) is fat, so if you’re feeding a crowd, order/buy more than one but be sure they don’t weigh more than 9 lbs each or you’ll be ladling hot fat out of the roasting pan every 15 minutes and there will be less meat to go around.

** Banger is a British term for sausage.

ROSEMARY ROASTED SAUSAGES with POTATOES & CHERRY TOMATOES

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of extra-v olive oil

8 best quality pork or turkey sausages

1 large mild onion such as Vidalia; peeled and sliced into thin wedges

1 pack (18g) of fresh rosemary

1 lb (450g) of baby potatoes, scrubbed and cut into four wedges

10 oz (250g) of cherry tomatoes, washed

Freshly ground black pepper

Action:

Preheat the oven to 425F (220C). Place the olive oil and onion wedges in a medium sized roasting pan and mix well. Cook for 15 minutes.

Reduce the oven temp to 400F (200C). Add the sausages; break up the rosemary into small twigs and add to the sausages along with the potato wedges. Toss everything to coat.

Roast for another 25-30 minutes turning the sausages and stirring everything a couple of times, until the potatoes are tender and starting to turn golden and the juices from the sausages run clear.

Scatter the tomatoes over everything and give a good grind of black pepper. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes and serve straight from the pan with something green on the side.