RecipeTin Eats’ sausage hot pot

Name: RecipeTin Eats’ sausage hot pot
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 600g medium-large potatoes (such as sebago), peeled and sliced 5mm thick; ½ tsp cooking salt; ¼ tsp black pepper; 1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves (or use ½ tsp dried thyme); 50g unsalted butter, melted

RecipeTin Eats

July 31, 2023

Sausage hot pot topped with a layer of crispy potatoes.Rob Palmer; Styling Emma Knowles

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:4-6

Sausages and spuds in a rich onion gravy baked under a layer of thinly sliced potatoes that go crisp on the edges – this is pure comfort food that’s also budget-friendly.

Ingredients

Potato topping

600g medium-large potatoes (such as sebago), peeled and sliced 5mm thick
½ tsp cooking salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves (or use ½ tsp dried thyme)
50g unsalted butter, melted

Hot pot

2 tbsp canola oil
10 pork sausages (100-120g each)
2 onions, sliced 8mm thick
3 tbsp plain flour
500ml (2 cups) alcoholic apple cider – see note
250ml (1 cup) salt-reduced chicken stock
1½ tsp fresh thyme leaves (or use ¾ tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp cooking salt
¼ tsp black pepper
600g medium-large potatoes (such as sebago), peeled and cut into 1cm cubes

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
Step 2
To make the potato topping, place all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Set aside.
Step 3
To make the hot pot, heat the oil in a 30cm non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Sear the sausages on both sides until golden (1½ minutes each side). Set aside on a plate.
Step 4
Still on medium-high, add the onion to the pan and cook for 12 minutes, reducing the heat halfway through, until the onions are dark golden brown. Don’t shortcut this step – it adds flavour to the gravy. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
Step 5
Add the cider, stock, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir, then add diced potato. Bring to a simmer then pour into a ceramic baking dish (about 30 x 23 x 6cm).
Step 6
Place sausages on top, pressing them under the liquid. Arrange the sliced potatoes on top in a single layer, overlapping slightly.
Step 7
Bake for 1 hour until golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving!

Note: Cider makes this gravy special. You won’t taste any of the alcohol once it’s been in the oven for an hour. But if you prefer, you can replace it with zero-alcohol cider or 1 cup of apple juice and an extra cup of chicken stock.