Weekends are for indulgent food, right? And sausages on a BBQ are just the ticket: fast food that is moreish and bursting with herbal and sweet flavors.
I choose my sausages carefully, none of that plastic wrapped supermarket “butcher’s choice” or bulked up with rusk. I use a local butcher that prepares the sausages with wonderful local sourced pork, only adding spices and herbs.
These sausages don’t split when grilling, they don’t “spit” that much and are juicy and delicious hot or cold. I prefer to put them on the barbecue (BBQ) instead of frying for two reasons: to avoid mess in the kitchen and to impart the best flavors of a real fire.
Sausages on the grill have become quite a feature in our house since I discovered the “Welsh dragon” sausages (slightly spicy but not garlicky). I am fond of Wales since my best friend has roots there and I have warm memories of lovely communities and beautiful scenery both in South and North Wales.
My other choice for the sausages on the grill is Cumberland sausages, tamer, with black pepper and hint of nutmeg. The Cumberland sausages are traditionally very long, up to 50 centimeters (20 inches), and come in a flat, circular coil, or in long curved lengths as they do in western Cumbria. But my butcher sells them as regular lengths and they are just perfect: stuffed with chopped juicy pork that gives them a chunky texture.
The added bonus to sausages on the grill: “sides”
I often pair sausages on the grill with smooth and creamy mash potatoes, but it’s spring here in North Essex, and this means roasted Mediterranean vegetables. They are a frequent feature in my spring and summer meals. I toss olive oil and plenty of sliced courgettes (zucchini), roughly chopped white and red onion with a few colorful bell peppers and tomatoes on the vine.
Bread is never far from my thoughts, I am addicted to its never ending possibilities. This time, a slice of sourdough bread receives a quick touch of the grill to bring a gorgeous burnish and crunch.
Top up
Toppings are really optional, although why wouldn’t a crumble of feta and flat parsley work? And other times I’m sure a yogurty dressing crammed with garlic, mint and oregano will do the trick.
What to do with your leftovers
This easy recipe delivers on my mission: less work, more flavor and handy ingredients helping you achieve a more satisfying way of living.
Use the cold leftovers for a lunch, chop them lightly and add to salad leaves with a squize of lemon or add them to an omelette.
In fact we had a bank holiday Monday breakfast with omelette made with chunks of sausages on the grill. Talk about not wasting anything!
Sausages on the grill with roasted Mediterranean vegetables
Ingredients
- 6 sausages (your choice, but I used 3 Welsh dragon sausages and 3 Cumberland sausages)
For the roasted Mediterranean vegetables
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil (I don't measure it usually, I add liberally)
- 2-3 courgettes (zucchinis)
- 1 white onion roughly sliced
- 1 red onion roughly sliced
- 2 bell peppers roughly chopped
- 3-4 large tomatoes on the vine (or a few handfuls if they are smaller)
- 2 large garlic cloves, grated or minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- half tsp dried chili flakes
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or a mix of dried Italian herbs)
- 1 tsp each salt and freshly cracked black pepper (or to taste)
For garnish
- 75 5 feta cheese (crumbled)
- 2-3 tsp parsley roughly chopped
Instructions
Prep your vegetables
- Peel and roughly slice the onions.
- Wash and dice courgettes in medium chunks.
- Remove the peppers' cores and chop them in fairly large squares.
- Wash the tomatoes and remove them from the vine (or not).
- Add the olive oil, spices and herbs and vegetables to a large bowl and mix well until all are coated. Season well with salt and pepper and give them another mix.
Roast the veggies
- In a baking tray lined with baking paper, add the vegetable mix and roast for half an hour to 200 ℃ fan or until the veggies are nice and soft.
- Check every 15 minutes and turn them gently on the tray.
- When roasted, take the tray out of the oven and crumble the feta on top.
Grilling
- Preheat the grill to high then turn to medium-low and add the sausages.
- Check them around 5-7 minutes and turn them to ensure they don't burn too much. They should be golden-brown and juicy not black-brown and dry.
Assemble your dish
- Place 2 sausages, a pile of roasted vegetables and a slice of grilled sourdough. Garnish with parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Take a snapshot for your Insta, post and tag #candyflosie :).
