Not only Stoemp

This Flemish dish of sausages with fancy mash is one that can be reapplied in many different ways...

Without getting all Brueghel on your ass, the traditional Flemish dish of sausages served with mashed potatoes mixed with other vegetables is a staple on which you can rely.

This is the recipe for 2 to 3 diners. Scale it up as needed.

Shopping list

• Sausages, approx. 3 per diner. From basic pork sausages through to caramelised onion versions thereof or more spicy outings

• ½ a butternut squash

• ½ a small celeriac

• About 5 young potatoes

• 4 handfuls of spinach

• A large knob of butter

• Black pepper to taste; a little salt

• Approx. 125g mushrooms; sliced

• 1 small onion, finely sliced

• 175ml red wine

• 1 beef stock cube, diluted or the better part of a cup of beef stock

Cooking method

the stoemp

1. Peel the celeriac and remove the majority of the sinews and seeds from the butternut squash before placing in a large pot of salted water. Scrub the skins of the potatoes under a running tap and bring all of them to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for approx. 15 mins, until all are cooked

2. Throw in the spinach, finely chopped, for the last two mins of the boiling

3. Drain in a colander and return to the pot. Scrape the flesh the butternut from the skin with a spoon before returning to the pot as required

4. In the pot, add a generous knob of butter and black pepper. Then mash all of the vegetables using a traditional masher. Cover and keep warm

5. (obviously, run this job alongside cooking the sausages; below)

the sausages

1. In a deep frying pan, melt a little butter. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the sliced onion and allow to soften

2. As soon as the onions show signs of softening, add the mushrooms and allow them to sauté

3. Pour in half of the red wine, stirring vigorously and allowing the alcohol to burn off

4. Push the mushrooms and onions towards the side of the pan and add the sausages, turning regularly and adding the rest of the wine in slow increments, allowing it to burn off

5. Slowly cook the mushrooms and sausages, moving around the pan as required

6. Once the onions and mushrooms are largely cooked, add the beef stock, a little more red wine and butter, and cook, stirring continuously. Allow to bubble furiously if you need the contents to reduce

7. Plate the stoemp, making a "pool" in the middle of the plate. The sausages, mushrooms and sauce are used to fill the "well"

Pairings

I must confess that I had this with a hipster cabernet-syrah from France and it was great. But obviously we shall default to Karel.