A Warming dish for Bonfire Night

With Bonfire Night only a few days away now, here is a classic sausage-based dish to warm any revellers.

Note that in English parlance, sausages are often colloquially referred to as 'bangers'


Bonfire Bangers with Beans

Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
800g (ie 2 tins) chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 sprigs thyme
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
400g cooked haricot beans (tinned is fine), drained
400g cooked barlotti beans (tinned is fine), drained
2 red bell peppers, de-seeded and chopped
12 herby sausages (about 900g)
4 tbsp parsley, chopped, to serve

Method:
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large flame-proof casserole. Stir in the onion, celery and bacon and fry for about 6 minutes, or until the onion has softened. Increase the heat then stir in the tomato purée. Continue cooking for 2 minutes then add the chopped tomatoes, sugar, mustard, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and 200ml water. Stir to combine then bring the mixture to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a low simmer and continue cooking, uncovered, for 15 minutes. At this point add the beans and bell peppers. Return the mixture to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes more, topping-up the water, as needed.

In the meantime, add the sausages to a baking tray, toss with the remaining oil and spread out in the pan. Place in an oven pre-heated to 190°C and cook for 30 minutes, or until well browned all over. After this time remove the sausages from the oven and arrange them in the bean mixture. Cover the casserole and place in the oven.

Continue cooking for 20 minutes more then remove the casserole from the oven, sprinkle the parsley over the top. Serve immediately, accompanied by baked potato. This dish can be made up to two days in advance and can be re-heated in a low oven (or on the hot). Indeed, if made before hand and re-heated it will taste even better as the flavours have a chance to meld and intensify.

Serve hot.

For more Bonfire Night recipes, and for a brief history of Guy Fawkes and Bonfire night, see the Bonfire Night information and recipes page.