Celebrating Heritage British Food & Cooking
In this sausages with sticky onion gravy recipe, the onions are braised and simmered until soft, smoky and rich, imparting their wonderful flavours.
To get the most out of the gravy serve with my creamy mashed potato to soak up all those wonderful flavours.
Cumberland Sausages:
Being probably the most famous of British sausages, Cumberland’s has been a regional speciality for over 500 years. Because they are made using chopped rather than minced meat, Cumberland’s have a distinct taste and a coarse texture.
Traditionally Cumberland sausages are made as a long spiral and cooked whole, rather than smaller individual ones.
County of Cumberland UK
Cumberland was a historic county of the UK from the 12th century until 1974 when it was merged into the larger county of Cumbria.
The name may have changed but the sausages haven’t.
Sandwiched between Lancashire in the south, Scotland in the north and facing west to the Irish Sea, it contained the Lake District, one of the most picturesque areas of the UK.
Since being granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in 2011, Cumberlands are a treasure of the British sausage industry. This helps to protect their heritage and authenticity in a world of fake sausages from overseas.
Now you know the history of the Cumberland sausage. Let’s get on and make some of those delicious sausages with sticky onion gravy!
Cumberland Sausages with Sticky Onion Gravy
Ingredients
- 450 gram 1 pound Cumberland sausages
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 225 gram 8 ounce red onions, sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoons red wine optional
- 1 tablespoons Dried Thyme
- 300 millilitre ½ pint beef stock
- 1 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
Serving Suggestion:
- Mashed potato optional
Instructions
- Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the onions on a medium-heat for about 10 minutes until they are softened.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and red wine and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. Blend the Thyme with the stock and flour and add to the pan with the redcurrant jelly.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until thickened and glossy. Serve the sausages with the gravy and creamy mashed potato.
- Grill or bake the sausages, until cooked through.