Sausage and Beans with Potato Dumplings

Think beyond the fry-up: sausage, beans and tomatoes combine in this English-style cassoulet. Cooking up a meal that satisfies everyone can be tricky, but this one-pot wonder full of humble ingredients is a simple, stunning dish that will make a big impression. One for the whole family.

6 Cumberland sausages
extra-virgin olive oil
potatoes (800 g)
2 tsp. wholegrain mustard
2 large carrots
2 leeks
3 Tbsp. HP sauce
2 cans mixed beans (400 g)
1 can quality plum tomatoes

Cook the Sausages:
Place the sausages in a large non-stick casserole pan on a medium-high heat with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and brown for 10 minutes, turning regularly, then remove to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat.

Cook the Potatoes:
Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, chop into even-sized chunks and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes, or until tender, then drain and leave to steam dry. Mash well with 1 heaping tsp. mustard, then season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the broiler to high. Set an oven rack in the uppermost position.

Cook the Stew:
Trim, wash and chop the carrots and leeks into 2 cm chunks. Stir into the sausage fat in the pan and cook for 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly, and adding a splash of water, if needed. Stir the HP sauce and remaining mustard into the vegetables, then pour in the beans, juice and all. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the spoon, then stir in 1 can's worth of water. Bring to the boil and cook for another 10 minutes, then season to perfection.

Assemble:
Score the sausages at ½ cm intervals and sit them cut side up in the stew. As soon as the mash is cool enough to handle, divide it into four compact balls, push them into the stew and brush with 2 Tbsp. of oil.

Bake the Casserole:
Grill on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Serve with crusty bread to sop up all that delicious gravy.

Makes 4 servings.