So much of cooking is about comfort and nostalgia and today’s recipe is one of my childhood favourites. Devilled Sausages are an absolute staple of the New Zealand and Australian kitchen and busy mums and dads have been feeding hungry kids with them for generations.
What are Devilled Sausages?
A wonderfully rich and warming comfort food, Devilled Sausages are thick, country-style pork sausages, cooked in a rich and flavoursome, lightly curried apple and tomato sauce. I think anything ‘Devilled” should have a little heat, so I add just a pinch of chilli to my recipe.
No Packet Mix
Like many popular family recipes in NZ and Australia, Devilled Sausages are often cooked from a packet mix, but it is perfectly easy to make them at home with ingredients you likely already have in the cupboard. Better yet, you can adjust the flavouring to suit your tastes and you know exactly what goes into your meal. No packet mix necessary!
What to serve with Devilled Sausages?
This is cool weather food, so ideal for autumn, fall or winter (though I’ll be the first to admit, I eat them all year round). I like to serve my Devilled Sausages with lots of buttery mashed potatoes and heaps of green beans, though broccoli, carrots, peas and all the usual suspects are good too.
Use good quality sausages
Devilled sausages are a great cheap and cheerful meal and will taste delicious regardless which sausages you use, but to really amp up the flavour and get the most bang for your buck, I’d recommend using coarsely ground, high meat content pork sausages. They are packed full of flavour and will make your homemade Devilled Sausages extra tasty.
Why are they called ‘Devilled’ Sausages?
The term ‘devilled’ when it comes to food appears to have been coined in the 18th century to describe any food that had been aggressively or spicily flavoured. I like to make my sausages quite hot, but if you are chilli-sensitive or feeding kids you can dial back the chilli or replace it with sweet or smoked paprika.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I have to use pork sausages to make Devilled Sausages?
I think coarse pork sausages give this dish the best flavour, but there is no reason you couldn’t use beef or even chicken in a pinch. What you want is something with a bit of flavour and texture.
Can I double or triple the recipe to feed more people?
Yes, you can. You’ll need to brown the sausages in batches and allow more time for the sauce to cook down as more liquid takes longer to reduce.
Can I freeze Devilled Sausages?
Absolutely! Devilled sausages freeze brilliantly so are fantastic for batch cooking.
I don’t like spicy food, can I leave the chilli out?
Of course, replace it with a little sweet or smoked paprika for extra flavour.
Devilled Sausages are a great way of making a little food go a long way. Serve with plenty of fresh greens and heapings of mashed potato. A guaranteed crowd pleaser!
I’ve had so much fun making a video for this recipe, be sure to check it out down below and let me know what you think in the comments!
Classic Devilled Sausages
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil, sunflower etc.
- 6 pork sausages, see notes
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 250 ml beef stock, cold
- 1- 1 ½ Tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
- 400 g can of whole tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 tsp dried
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp brown sugar or honey
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- Sea salt and black pepper
to serve:
- 1 kg potatoes, for mashing
- 400 g green beans, to be boiled or steamed
Instructions
- BROWN THE SAUSAGES: Melt the butter and oil together in a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium-low heat. Brown the sausages, turning occasionally for 5-10 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- SAUTÉ APPLE AND ONION: Add the apple, onion and garlic to the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes until the onion has begun to soften.
- PREPARE THE SAUCE: Meanwhile, whisk together the beef stock and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch / cornflour. Use a pair of scissors to chop the tomatoes in the tin, then stir into the beef stock mixture with the thyme, curry powder, sugar and chilli flakes.
- SLICE THE SAUSAGES: Slice the sausages into bite sized rounds, don’t worry if they are a little pink still in the middle, they will cook through in the next step.
- COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS: Pour the sauce into the frying pan and stir in the sausages until well combined. Bring to a simmer then cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick and glossy. If you would like the sauce to be thicker, stir the remaining cornstarch / cornflour with 2 Tbsp cold water and add stir through. Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Meanwhile cook the mashed potatoes and beans.
- SERVE: Divide the mashed potatoes and green beans between 4 warmed plates and top with the devilled sausages.
- WINE RECOMMENDATION: A gutsy red like a Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.
Video
Notes
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I made the devilled sausages and added a little more flavouring and it was delicious
Hi Shirley! Sorry for my delayed reply, I have been on holiday in Cyprus cooking up lots of lovely food and getting inspired! I am so happy you enjoyed the devilled sausages, they are a favourite from my childhood in New Zealand, great comfort food! J.