A zesty special ingredient makes these party favourites extra special
Usually I make a few versions of something before I'm brave enough to add it to this site, but this is one recipe that I'm 100% sure will turn out brilliantly - and so the inaugural version of 'cocktail sausages slathered in marmalade' is in the oven as I type...
The recipe is inspired by two things - firstly the traditional honey-and-mustard sausages that I whip out all the time for parties and wine tastings (also very simple, I'll give details below) and secondly a sausage that we bought from the butcher at Newlyn's Farm Shop, which had marmalade in the actual sausage. That was a good sausage and got me thinking about making these mini ones with that same tangy, zesty edge to them.
Ingredients
30 cocktail sausages (or however many you want to do/get in a pack)
2 very heaped teaspoons of marmalade
Method
Preheat the oven to about 200C (standard) or feel smug if you're reading this leaning your bum up against your nice hot Aga. Separate your sausages and lay them in a baking tray, making sure they're all in one layer and not too tightly packed in.
Then dollop two heaped teaspoons of marmalade onto the sausages and smear it all over them. This picture shows just one heaped teaspoon (with one already pre-smeared) so you can
get the gist of how much to put on.
Pop the tray in the oven for at least 30mins, tossing them half way through to make sure all the sausages are covered in the sticky marmalade, once it's had a chance to melt in the heat of the oven.
And there you go - easy-peasy festive cocktail sausages, perfect for parties or just eating on your own in front of the TV.
For those wanting something a little more traditional, why not try the classic honey and mustard version of this. Same principles apply, but instead of the marmalade, slather on a tablespoon of runny honey and a good dollop of whole grain mustard. Again, give them a toss half way through and cook for about 30 mins, depending on your oven temperature.
The best thing about both of these versions is that you can have them on standby for unexpected guests at any hour of the day or season of the year if you keep a bag of frozen cocktail sausages in the freezer. If cooking straight from frozen, just do your best to slather on the marmalade or honey, bearing in mind it will thicken and freeze on touching the sausages, but do your best. After about 10 mins in the oven you can toss them, and then again after another 20. Cook to the sausage pack's instructions, but you'll need about 10 mins more than cooking from fresh.
Oh... and my batch are out of the oven now and I can confirm what I suspected... they are a lovely little canapé to have up your sleeve (or straight in your gob). Depending on your marmalade (I used Frank Cooper's), there's a sweetness that's balanced by a bitterness to the cooked orange, all complemented by the meaty sausage. Try it!