Sausages will turn out juicier if you swap oil for a better kitchen cupboard ingredient
I used to dread frying sausages because of the oil spitting and greasy mess.
As September arrives and temperatures begin to drop considerably, most of us crave a warming breakfast on a chilly morning, making it the ideal time to prepare sausage baps. Few things are more satisfying than biting into a hearty sausage sandwich, yet the prospect of frying them can often feel like too much effort.
Cooking sausages in a frying pan frequently results in oil splattering across the hob, leaving greasy worktops and a burnt pan requiring vigorous scrubbing. It can also leave the sausages dried out and rubbery, and worse still, rather bland in flavour — enough to make you regret the whole endeavour.
While searching for a more effective approach to cooking sausages without the hassle of hot oil, a little research uncovered a surprising solution: using a stock cube can produce juicier, crispier results.
Why can frying sausages become really messy?
Cooking sausages with a stock cube may sound peculiar, but it employs a straightforward culinary technique known as poaching, which promotes more even cooking throughout.
Sausages are notoriously difficult to cook in oil due to their high fat content, and when combined with oil under intense heat, the thick outer casing tends to cook far too rapidly.
Not only can this cause the sausage skin to burn while the meat inside remains undercooked, but it can also cause the casing to constrict during the cooking process, causing the sausage to split open.
This can also cause the flavourful juices inside the sausage to seep into the pan, resulting in a sausage that is distinctly bland and simultaneously undercooked and burnt.
Why use a stock cube instead of oil to cook sausages?
Poaching essentially involves cooking sausages gently in water, where the low heat ensures the inside of the sausage cooks thoroughly before you finish crisping it up in the oven.
Not only does this method promote far more even cooking, but it also prevents the skin from drying out or splitting open, ultimately delivering a considerably superior texture.
It enables the sausage to develop that desirable crispy, golden-brown skin while remaining wonderfully juicy and perfectly cooked throughout.
Having adopted the poaching method for sausages for roughly a year now, I find it produces an even more delicious result with considerably less effort than frying them in oil.
Taking the time to poach sausages yields a dramatically improved flavour while generating far less washing-up than frying, transforming them into a breakfast you'll genuinely look forward to preparing.
Adding a stock cube to the water during poaching also introduces considerably more seasoning and herbs, ensuring every mouthful is bursting with flavour — and all within less than 10 minutes.
How to poach sausages
To begin, preheat the oven to 200°C and line a tray with baking paper. Then place the sausages in a single layer in a frying pan and cover them with cold water.
Pour enough water into the pan to cover the sausages halfway, ensuring they are not fully submerged; otherwise, you risk boiling rather than poaching them.
Next, drop in a stock cube of your choice — chicken, beef, or vegetable — then position the pan over a low heat until it begins to simmer.
Poach the sausages for approximately five to seven minutes. Don't be alarmed if they appear slightly grey and unappetising at this stage, as they will develop a gorgeous golden-brown colour in the oven.
Once the sausages no longer appear pink, transfer them to the tray and place in the oven. Cook for roughly 10 minutes until they are sizzling, crisp and considerably more appetising.
