Bangers in sticky onion and mustard gravy

• 8 pork sausagesgood-quality, thick butcher-style
• 3 yellow onionshalved and thinly sliced
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbs all-purpose flour
• 400 ml beef stock
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs wholegrain mustard
• 4 fresh thyme sprigssprigs, leaves stripped
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

1. 1

   Place the sausages in the skillet over medium heat (no oil needed — the sausages have plenty of fat). Brown them on all sides, turning every couple of minutes, until deep golden all over, about 8 minutes total. They don't need to be cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate.

   Tip: Don't prick the sausages — keeping the casing intact means juicier results and more fat renders into the pan for the gravy.

2. 2

   Drop the butter into the same skillet with all the rendered sausage fat. Once it foams, add the sliced onions, brown sugar, and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, jammy, and turning golden at the edges, about 8 minutes. If they start catching on the bottom, that's great — those sticky bits are flavour. Just stir them in.

   Tip: Resist the urge to stir constantly. Letting the onions sit undisturbed for 30-second stretches helps them caramelize faster.

3. 3

   Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir for 30 seconds until it disappears. Pour in the beef stock while stirring to prevent lumps, then add the Worcestershire sauce, wholegrain mustard, thyme leaves, and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a simmer.

4. 4

   Nestle the sausages back into the gravy. Let everything simmer gently over medium-low heat, turning the sausages once halfway through, until the gravy has thickened to a glossy, spoon-coating consistency and the sausages are cooked through (no pink in the centre when you cut one open), about 5-6 minutes.

   Tip: If the gravy gets too thick, splash in a little extra stock or water. It should be pourable but rich — think thick sauce, not paste.

5. 5

   Taste the gravy and adjust salt, pepper, or another small squeeze of mustard if needed. Spoon the sausages and onion gravy onto plates, making sure everyone gets a generous amount of those sticky onions.

   Tip: Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of stock to loosen the gravy back up.

• skillet (30cm (12-inch))

Per serving

Nutritional values are estimates only.