Sophie Grigson's sausages with chestnuts recipe

If you've got some chestnuts in for Christmas, here's a quick, easy and tasty recipe to get everyone in the festive spirit and it doesn't contain any turkey!

Take a look at our guide on how to cook chestnuts perfectly for your seasonal bites and treats!

Ingredients

• 4 onions
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 8 free-range pork sausages
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 150ml (5fl oz) red wine
• 250ml (9fl oz) chicken stock
• 1tbsp tomato puree
• 6 sage leaves
• 3 bay leaves
• 250g (9oz) cooked, peeled chestnuts
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Peel and quarter the onions. Do your best to just slice a sliver off the root-end so the quarters each hold together. It doesn't matter too much if they fall apart, but it does make the next stage a touch fiddlier.
2. Take a heavy-based frying pan, wipe a touch of oil over the surface then place over a high heat until violently hot. Lay the onion quarters in it and sear until patched with brown on all sides. Put to one side.
3. Clean the black bits from the pan and put it on a moderate heat. Add the oil and fry the sausages fairly briskly until browned. Put on one side with the onions. Fry the garlic in the same oil.
4. Put the onions and sausages back in the pan and add the rest of the ingredients except the chestnuts. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 mins, uncovered.
5. Stir in the chestnuts and simmer for another 5 mins. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
6. Serve with lots of mashed potato.