The recipe
Set the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. In a roasting tin put 3 tbsp of olive oil then place over a medium heat. Put 500g of plump, coarse-textured sausages in the hot oil and let them cook for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally until they are evenly coloured. Cut 2 bulbs of fennel in half and then into thick segments and add to the sausages, spooning the oil over them as they cook. When they are pale gold transfer the dish to the hot oven and leave for 45-50 minutes, or until the sausages are cooked right through and the fennel is tender.
Transfer the sausages and fennel to a warm serving dish, then place the roasting tin over a medium heat and pour in 50ml of white vermouth, such as Noilly Prat. Let the contents of the tin bubble, while stirring at the debris with a wooden spoon. As the liquid comes to the boil, stir in 1 tbsp of grain mustard and 2 of honey. Leave to bubble for a minute or two, taste and correct the seasoning, then serve. A few basil leaves are delightful with the fennel and sausages if you have some.
The trick
Keep the heat fairly low, so that the sausages have time to leave a sticky goo of caramelised meat juices on the pan. This is the base of the cooking juices and will dissolve deliciously once you pour in the vermouth.
The twist
If fennel isn’t your thing, substitute potato, cut into thick segments. I rather like to use celery, too, a good thick rib per person, cut into short lengths and basted regularly.
Read more at theguardian.com
