Ingredients

• 450g/1lb fatty minced pork
• 50g/2oz breadcrumbs
• 1 free-range egg
• beaten
• 1 garlic clove
• crushed
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or marjoram
• 3 tbsp olive or sunflower oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5kg/3lb 5oz floury potatoes
• scrubbed
• 100g/3½oz butter
• 500g/1lb 2oz green cabbage
• outer leaves removed and discarded
• inner leaves sliced
• 250ml/9fl oz hot milk
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large cooking apple
• peeled
• cored and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp water
• 25-50g/1-2oz caster sugar

Directions

• For the sausages
• place all the ingredients
• except the olive oil
• into a bowl and mix thoroughly then season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. (Fry a tiny bit of the mixture in a hot pan with a little olive or sunflower oil to check the seasoning. Add more if required.)
• Divide the mixture into 12 pieces and shape each one into a sausage shape. Place on a baking tray or plate and set aside until you want to cook them. (Chilling them for a day in the fridge is fine
• or you can freeze them.)
• To cook the sausages
• heat a frying pan on a low to medium heat
• add two tablespoons of olive or sunflower oil and gently fry the sausages for 12-15 minutes
• turning occasionally
• until golden on all sides and completely cooked through.
• For the colcannon
• cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes
• then drain off three quarters of the water and continue to cook over a low heat until tender.
• When cooked
• drain all of the remaining water. Once just cool enough to handle
• peel the potatoes
• then mash with half of the butter.
• Heat a pan until hot and add the remaining butter
• two tablespoons of water and the sliced cabbage. Cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes
• stirring frequently
• until just cooked through.
• Add the cabbage mixture to the potatoes
• then add most of the hot milk and the parsley
• keeping some of the milk back in case you do not need it all. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• and beat until creamy and smooth
• adding more milk
• if necessary
• to achieve your preferred consistency.
• For the apple sauce
• place the apple in a small pan with the water. Cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat
• stirring occasionally
• until the apple has broken down to a pulp. Add sugar to taste.
• To serve
• place a spoonful of colcannon onto each plate and place a knob of butter into the centre to melt. Add three sausages to each plate and a spoonful of warm apple sauce alongside.