SAUSAGES WITH MASHED POTATOES, BEER AND ONION GRAVY AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• To make the beer and onion gravy, heat the oil and the butter in a large, heavy based saucepan.
• Add the onions and sugar and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and richly caramelised.
• Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the beer, beef broth, star anise, cloves and bay leaves and boil vigorously until reduced to a rich, glossy sauce - about 20 minutes in a large sauté pan.
• Remove the star anise, bayleaves and cloves (if you can find them) from the gravy and season to taste with some salt and pepper.
• For the sausages and mashed potato, cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 20 minutes until soft.
• Then after about 10 minutes, heat the oil for the sausages in a large frying pan.
• Add the sausages and fry them over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning now and then, until nicely browned and cooked through.
• Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth - a potato ricer does this really well.
• Beat in the butter with some seasoning and enough milk to make a smooth, creamy mash.
• Spoon the mashed potatoes onto warmed plates and rest the sausages alongside.
• Pour over some of the gravy and serve with a good spoonful of English mustard.