My brother’s 23rd birthday celebration

We recently celebrated my brother’s 23rd birthday - and of course with that came a wide spread of hearty homemade dishes prepared by both me and my brother’s favourite chef, our Mum.

One reason in particular why I adore my mum’s cooking is because she can always cater to such a large number of food requirements. One of her best friends is coeliac, but whenever she joins us for a meal she never displays an ounce of disappointment, even when she is tucking into her gluten-free Yorkshire pudding (I've heard it is notoriously hard to bake a half-decent gluten-free Yorkshire).  

With this banquet came a variety of salads, chicken thighs, sausages from our own pigs, and veggie burgers for those who have personally decided they don’t enjoy the finer things in life. I do have to say the sausages were the standout, even with the salads coming with their three different types of legumes and the chicken thighs waiting patiently overnight to be marinated.

I have rather boldly in the past claimed we make the best sausages in the world; the chorizo is a close second, but don't get me started with what they are doing across the pond, stuffing such a delicacy with whatever's in the back of their kitchen. I think I’d leap out of my seat if I saw liquid cheese oozing out after I took a bite!

No, but the reason why I truly believe we produce the best sausages on this planet is for two reasons: the casing and the herbs. We use a blend of sage, thyme, black pepper, and nutmeg. We like to keep it traditional. Then the casing, this is the true standout. We use a much thicker casing than a typical supermarket sausage; this gives it such a scrumptious bite. Your teeth can feel the difference in texture to the casing and the meaty goodness in the middle. 

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