The very first time I went to Cork Daddy’s family farm in Boorowa all those years ago, I did something that’ll never be forgotten. Sitting in ‘Joe’s’ paddock, having a barbie and a few beers – my father in law was cooking some sausages on a grill plate over the fire. As he went to reach for the clean plate to pile the ‘cooked’ snags on to, this city girl pipes up “can you leave one on the fire for me please?”
To this day – every time a barbie is being cooked at the farm – I get heaps for being so high maintenance. Dave and I differ in opinions when it comes to how cooked a snag should be. I think I got the love of a burnt snag from my dad; best dad in the world; worst cook known to man.
This post is dedicated to my father in law, Dave. Him and I are great mates and get on really well. Dave and I always share a dessert whenever we’re out to dinner and we’ll make a foodie out of him yet. He sends me pics of his meals when out at nice restaurants with work and we’re always reminiscing about our family trip to Tuscany, which we all loved so much. I remember that dinner we had in a tiny village named Pitigliano (which Dave can never pronounce much to the families delight).
Now, I have been known to over order. There are many occasions where the infamous over order has happened – remember that brunch when The Royal Garden in Wagga started serving Yum Cha Joff? Well this night in Pitigliano was an over order of epic proportions. Super excited to be in Italy, I thought it was a good idea for everyone at the table to order a pasta for entree and a pizza EACH for main. Not to mention the bread, olives and antipasto to share. Woopsiedaisies.
Now sausages are a favourite meal of our girls and Cork Daddy has passed on his love of the Bunnings sausage sizzle. I always get a cheer when sausages are on the table for dinner, generally making something else for me. I find that by making this yummy gravy though means that the girls can eat their snags and veggies earlier and we sit down to the ‘grown up’ version later on.
If you’ve never made gravy at home – give this one a go. It’s really easy, tasty and takes the ol’ bangers and mash to new heights.
Now Davo – when’s that next family trip to Italy happening?
sausages in a red wine + onion gravy (serves 2 adults + 2 kids)
8 x thin sausages
2 x small onions, sliced
1 x large garlic clove, crushed
1 x heaped dessertspoon of plain flour
A good splash of red wine
1 x beef stock cube, diluted in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
1 x good shake of the Worcestershire sauce bottle
1/2 teaspoon of hot English mustard*
1 x dessertspoon of tomato sauce
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Steamed veggies and mashed pumpkin to serve
- Cook the sausages in a large heavy based pan until nicely browned and cooked to your liking. Set aside on a clean plate.
- Depending on the sausages used, there may be quite a bit of fat left in the pan. If so, discard most of it, leaving only a little in the bottom of the pan.
- Add the onions and garlic to the pan and fry until nicely softened. (Make sure the heat isn’t up too high as you don’t want them to burn).
- Add the flour to the pan and stir using a wooden spoon until it’s started to cook out.
- Add a good splash of red wine to deglaze the pan and it will evaporate quite quickly.
- Gradually pour in the stock, stirring constantly, until you have a nice consistency. (You don’t want it to be too thick or too thin).
- Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and the mustard. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Once you’re happy with how the gravy feels and tastes, serve with the cooked sausages and vege.
Lo’s tips
- *You can replace the hot English mustard with Dijon if you’re not a fan of the heat it brings.
- Serve with either mashed potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, or a mixture of all three.
- Substitute the steamed veggies for whatever you have handy. Broccoli, cauliflower, frozen peas, asparagus, green beans, carrots, zucchini, squash or broccolini work well here.
- Use any red wine that you like to drink (as it would be rude not to drink the bottle with dinner). We’re fans of Shiraz, so that’s what I always use.
- Obviously, up the amount of sausages you want to cook depending on who you’re making this for.
If you make these sausages and gravy, please leave your comments below. xx
lo's kitchen 
I love this recipe, for the same reason as you Lo. My kids love sausages and by adding the adult touch to it, its one meal for all of us. Can’t get better than that!
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Thanks Liz. Xx
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