Hearty Sausage Stew with Beans, Swiss Chard and Cinnamon
A recipe by Julius Roberts, this warming sausage stew with beans, swiss chard and cinnamon is simple to make but takes a little time on the hob for the flavours to melt together. It is so delicious, and easily adaptable.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: British
Servings: 4servings
Author: Julius Roberts
Ingredients
500gItalian sausages
3garlic cloves
2celery sticks
2brown onions
3tbspolive oil
1generous pinch of chilli flakesfor warmth, not prickly heat
3sprigs of rosemarysage or thyme also work
2bay leaves
1stick of cinnamon
120mlMadeira sweetish sherry, beer or white wine
2plum tomatoes from a tin
1x 700g jar white beansor 2 x 400g tins - I like to use 1 cannellini and 1 butter bean
750mlchicken stock
250gSwiss chard or cavolo nero
Instructions
Start by slicing the skin of the sausages so you can remove the meat. Then roughly break into small meatball-sized pieces.
Finely slice the garlic, celery and onions.
Get a large heavy-based pan hot, drizzle in the olive oil and, once warm, add the sausage. Fry for a few minutes to release the fat and get some colour on the meat. Then turn the heat right down and add the garlic, chilli flakes, rosemary, bay leaves and cinnamon. Don’t let the garlic take on any colour – this stage is about slowly infusing flavour into the oil, so you want a low heat and a gentle sizzle.
When ready, pour in the Madeira to deglaze the pan – you can do this early, to cool down the pan if your garlic is beginning to colour. With a wooden spoon, scrape up all the goodness from the bottom of the pan, then add the onions and celery, and crush in the tomatoes. Season generously, mix well and cook on a gentle heat for 10–12 minutes, until the onions are sweet and wonderfully softened.
Add the beans and pour in the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for about 20–30 minutes, until the broth thickens and the flavours come together.
Strip the stalks from the Swiss chard and chop them into 2cm pieces. Add them to the broth and simmer for a few minutes, then add the leaves and stir through. Put the lid on, turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes.
When ready, remove the lid and have a taste. You might want to add a touch more chilli flakes if the warmth isn’t quite there, and more salt if the broth isn’t rich enough.
Pour generously into bowls and serve with thick slices of lavishly buttered bread for dunking.
Notes
Extracted from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts (Ebury Press, £27) Photography by Elena Heatherwick.