Hearty Sausage Casserole

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large, deep casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Add the sausages and fry until deep golden and lightly charred, then remove and set aside. Don’t worry about cooking them right through at this point, just focus on browning the outside.

Add the bacon to the leftover oil and fry until it begins to brown. Add the carrots and onion and fry for a further 3–4 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Stir in the tomato purée and fry for 1–2 minutes, then pour in the red wine. Simmer for 2 minutes until it reduces slightly.

Pour in the stock, then add the chopped tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce and sausages. Give it all a good stir, scraping off any flavour from the bottom of the pan, then bring to a gentle simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat down to low, pop on the lid and leave to gently bubble away for 1 hour 30 minutes. Remove the lid, give it a stir, then simmer for a further 20–30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.

Pluck out the rosemary and thyme sprigs and the bay leaves (or just remove them when serving). Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if needed. This is perfect served with some hunks of buttered bread.