Ingredients:
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1.2 kg potatoes
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6 Cumberland or vegetarian sausages
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Olive oil
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2 large leeks
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2 eating apples
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½ bunch of fresh thyme (10 g)
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4 tablespoons plain flour
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600 ml semi-skimmed milk
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3 teaspoons English mustard
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F / Gas Mark 6).Peel the potatoes, chop them into even-sized chunks, and cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until tender.
Step 2
While the potatoes cook, brown the sausages in a large non-stick casserole pan over medium heat, tossing regularly. If using vegetarian sausages, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Step 3
Trim the leeks, halve them lengthwise, wash, and slice into 1 cm thick pieces. Peel, core, and chop the apples into 1 cm chunks.
Step 4
Allow the roasted vegetables to cool slightly, then transfer them to a blender in batches. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and add them to the blender. Add a quarter of a stock cube and enough water to cover the vegetables. Blend until smooth.
Step 5
Once the sausages are golden, remove them from the pan. Add the leeks and apples to the pan, along with most of the thyme. Add a splash of water, season with sea salt and black pepper, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 6
Drain the potatoes, mash them with half the flour, and season to taste. Lightly oil a 20 cm x 28 cm baking dish. When the mash is cool enough to handle, spread two-thirds of it evenly across the base and sides of the dish.
Step 7
Stir the remaining flour into the leek mixture, gradually adding the milk and then the mustard. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick and creamy.
Step 8
Slice the sausages into 1 cm thick pieces and stir most of them into the pan, along with any juices. Spoon the mixture evenly into the mash-lined dish.
Step 9
Roll out the remaining mash on a sheet of greaseproof paper until just larger than your dish. Flip it over the top of the dish, peel off the paper, trim any excess, and crimp the edges with a fork to seal.
Step 10
Poke the reserved sausage slices into the top, then gently brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake in the bottom of the oven for 40 minutes, or until golden. Add the remaining thyme leaves for the last 5 minutes of baking.