Sausage au Brioche
1. Make the brioche (the day before – sorry, no shortcuts here!)
In a stand mixer with a dough hook (or use your hands if you're feeling heroic), add:
70ml lukewarm milk
15g fresh yeast
500g bread flour
15g fine salt
6 eggs
Knead at medium speed for about 10 minutes, until your dough is smooth, springy, and showing off.
2. Butter time.
With the mixer running, gradually add:
175g softened unsalted butter
30g sugar
Then crank up the speed and let it go for another 10 minutes. Cover, place somewhere warm, and let it rise for 2 hours or until it's doubled in size and looking proud.
3. Knock it back (gently but firmly).
Punch the dough down like you're sending it to bed without supper. Pop it in a clean container, cover with cling film, and refrigerate overnight. Sweet dreams, dough.
4. Prep day!
Preheat your oven to 200°C / gas mark 6.
In a food processor, blitz 100g shelled pistachios into a coarse powder.
Beat 2 eggs in a bowl.
Peel your Lyonnaise (or smoked) sausage and dust it with 200g plain flour, tapping off any excess.
Roll it in the beaten egg (save a little for later), then coat generously with pistachios until it's dressed to impress.
5. Brioche wrap party.
Take half the brioche dough (save the rest for doughnuts or another loaf—lucky you) and roll it out to fit the sausage with a bit of overlap.
Place the sausage in the centre, wrap it like a snug burrito, seal the seam, and place it seam-side down in a loaf tin. Let it prove for 25–30 minutes in a warm spot.
6. Meanwhile, get saucy.
In a saucepan, melt 30g unsalted butter and sauté 2 finely diced banana shallots until soft but not coloured.
Add:
250ml ruby port
250ml red wine
Simmer until syrupy, then add 500ml fresh chicken stock and reduce again until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. You fancy thing, you.
7. Bake it ‘til you make it.
Brush your loaf with the reserved egg and bake for 25 minutes. Let it cool slightly so you don’t burn your enthusiasm.
8. Serve and show off.
Slice into thick pieces, drizzle with your lush port reduction, and serve with a bitter leaf salad for balance and smugness.
This recipe is inspired by www.greatbritishchefs.com/