Lincs Sausages with Flageolet Bean Cassoulet
Serves 4
* 8 Lincolnshire sausages
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 8 shallots, peeled and left whole
* 1 carrot, peeled and diced
* 1 stick celery, diced
* 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
* 1 sprig rosemary
* 1 bay leaf
* 100ml white wine
* 150ml chicken stock
* 250g fresh flageolet beans
* 2 tins chopped tomatoes
* 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly
* 50g pitted olives
* 1tbsp parsley, finely chopped
For the garlic crostini
* 8 slices baguette
* 60g butter, softened
* 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the sausages all over. Remove from the pan and reserve. Add the shallots, carrots and celery to the pan and sauté for five minutes, then add the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf and cook for a further minute.
2 Add the wine and stock, bring to the boil, then add the flageolet beans, tomatoes and redcurrant jelly. Return the sausages to the pan and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the beans are soft and cooked through. Add the olives and cook for a further five minutes. Check the seasoning, remembering that the olives are salty, and adjust as necessary.
3 For the crostini, mix together the crushed garlic and softened butter, and season with sea salt and black pepper. Spread the garlic butter onto both sides of the baguette slices, and grill each side until golden.
4 Sprinkle the parsley over the cassoulet and serve with the garlic crostini.
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