Rick Stein is known for his roots in Padstow, Cornwall, but the esteemed chef has travelled the world to source inspiration for his recipes.
In the BBC series Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, Rick discovers the wonders of the meat found in Italian delicatessens, prompting this delicious traybake recipe.
This dish is centred around the meat and is composed of fennel sausages braised with “lemony potatoes” and bay leaves, for which Rick says the “perfect sausages” are those from specialist Italian or Continental delicatessens, known as “luaganega”.
However, the meal is just as tasty when made with other “nice meaty pork chipolatas”, which are much easier to find in your local supermarket.
Ideal for a weeknight meal or with a glass of wine on the weekend, this traybake is simple and quick, with just 30 minutes to one hour of cooking time required.
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 180C/350F/gas four, then prepare your ingredients. Halve and thinly slice the onion and garlic.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters, then set aside. Zest and juice the lemon for later, then move on to the sausages.
Twist the sausages into 7.5cm lengths and separate them into individual sausages. Now, take a 26cm flameproof casserole dish and heat one tablespoon of the oil in it.
Add the sausages to the dish and fry until nicely browned all over. Lift them onto a plate and set aside.
Add the prepared onion, garlic and another tablespoon of oil to the casserole dish and fry until soft and lightly golden.
Now stir in the potatoes, browned sausages, lemon zest and juice, bay leaves, and half the chopped parsley, and avoid the stems.
Sprinkle half a teaspoon of salt and 10 turns of the black pepper mill, or more if you’re a fan of a peppery flavour.
Pour over the rest of the oil and the water, cover tightly with the lid, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Remove the lemon zest and sprinkle with the rest of the parsley before serving.