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Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo

The Sausage King — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:59:32 +0000

I came across a great website called Blue Kitchen the other day. Sitting proudly at the top of the site was the recipe for Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo: Comfort food with a Creole/Cajun kick. The website owner has very kindly let me include the recipe below (hopefully this will help me remember to make it and try it out for myself)!

Just in time for Mardi Gras, Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo combines onion, celery, bell peppers, garlic and plenty of seasonings to make big flavored comfort food. If you can’t find duck legs, substitute chicken. Recipe below.

I frequently email myself food ideas when I come across them, as inspiration for future posts here. Often, these emails will include a link to the article or restaurant review or whatever got me thinking about cooking something. Not so with the email whose subject line read “duck gumbo?” The entire contents of the email read “try some.”

Undaunted, I turned to Google. Then I was daunted. Almost all recipes called for multiple whole ducks. One called for five or six, which were to be covered with water in a pot. Who owns a pot that big? I couldn’t help but picture a big galvanized wash tub sitting atop all four burners on the stove.

Still, with Mardi Gras just around the corner and the flavors of duck and andouille sausage stuck in my head, I knew I had to make something work. If you’re an even semi-regular reader here, you know we love duck. And how can you go wrong with andouille, the spicy, smoky pork sausage created by the French and co-opted by Louisiana Cajuns?

Gumbo is a hearty soup or stew long tied to Louisiana and traditional Mardi Gras celebrations. It usually contains some combination of poultry, seafood, meat and sausage in a spice-rich broth that may be thickened with a roux or okra or both. Aromatic vegetables like onion, celery, bell peppers and garlic add to its big flavor. Gumbo is simmered for hours (I found cooking times from a leisurely nine hours to a strangely precise two hours, five minutes) and served with cooked rice.

There are both Cajun and Creole versions of gumbo as well as others, with considerable overlap in the recipes. My own version is something of a mutt—hence the hedged bets in the headline above. Marion points out that nearly all cultures have some sort of long-cooked soup or stew as part of their heritage, but none is like gumbo.

Roux, gumbo’s French heart. Gumbo has many influences, including African, but roux—flour cooked in an equal amount of fat—is pure French. But it has become a Louisiana kitchen staple. In fact, it’s been said that almost every recipe from southern Louisiana begins with, “First, you make a roux.”

A few years ago, James DeWan wrote a helpful piece on making a roux for theChicago Tribune, “Roux the day.” In it, he explains how a roux works to thicken sauces and what makes it different from using a slurry of flour and water or the also French beurre manié. The main difference is that the flour is cooked in a roux, doing away with that raw flour taste—indeed, you can smell it dissipating as the roux darkens. That darkening is the other thing. Depending on how long you cook your roux, you end up with a white, blond or brown roux. Some Cajun recipes call for cooking roux until it’s just short of black.

In researching gumbo, I noticed that many writers included photos of their roux. I assumed it was to illustrate the proper color. As my roux darkened to a deep mahogany under my watchful eye, I suspected there was some pride involved too. Even though I rarely include food-in-progress shots with my recipes, I was tempted to photograph my roux. There is nothing difficult about making a roux; you just have to watch your heat and patiently stir it for 15 minutes or more. But there is just something elemental and satisfying about performing a simple, timeless cooking technique and getting it right.

Elemental and satisfying is a good way to describe gumbo too. Yes, it is comfort food, but it’s more than that, a delicious blend of big flavors with just enough heat to liven things up. Perfect for Mardi Gras—or a cold winter night. The duck adds a meaty depth to this version, but if you can’t find duck legs, you can substitute chicken.

Duck and Andouille Sausage Gumbo
Serves 4

2 whole duck legs (drumstick and thigh, about 1 pound total)
salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
canola oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 ribs celery, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 cups chopped bell pepper (I used a mix of red and green)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1/2 pound fresh okra (may substitute frozen—see Kitchen Notes)
1-1/2 teaspoons filé powder (optional—see Kitchen Notes)

cooked white rice
chopped Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)
Tabasco or other hot sauce (optional)

A quick tip: Chop the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic before starting to cook the duck. It will make things easier—it will also make your kitchen smell like heaven right away.

Season the duck legs with salt and pepper and place them skin side down in a dry, unheated Dutch oven or heavy pot. Set the heat to medium-low and brown the duck on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. If the duck doesn’t release from the pot at 5 minutes, just let it cook a minute or so more and it will. Transfer the duck to a plate and add the andouille sausage. Brown just for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally and transfer to a bowl (or the plate with the duck legs).

Make the roux. Survey the fat in the bottom of the pot. There probably won’t be more than a tablespoon or so (duck legs have much less fat than duck breasts do). Add 3 tablespoons or so of canola oil to the pot, enough to give you about 1/4 cup of fat. Raise the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Whisk the flour into the oil to combine and continue whisking to prevent burning. My favorite tool for this is a DIREKT whisk we bought at IKEA more than five years ago. I’m not sure they still carry it, but I think they have something similar.

After 5 minutes or so, the roux will start to take on a blond hue. Continue whisking and cooking. If your roux starts to smoke, reduce the heat slightly. Eventually, the roux will turn a nice deep brown; mine took about 15 minutes to get to that point, but it can take longer.

When the roux reaches a satisfying brownness, add the onion. Toss to coat with the roux and stir frequently (you can switch to a wooden spoon or pair of wooden spatulas—I like the latter because as you add more stuff to the pot, it’s easier to mix it all together). Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, then stir in the celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the chicken broth, water and diced tomatoes with their liquids to the pot. Add the cayenne pepper, oregano, thyme, paprika and a generous grind of black pepper and stir to combine. Return the duck legs and sausage to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. Tuck the bay leaves into the liquid and bring gumbo to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Transfer the duck legs to a plate and allow them to cool enough to handle. Cover the pot and let the gumbo continue to simmer. Meanwhile rinse the okra, trim off the tops and slice into half-inch or so pieces. After 10 or 15 minutes, remove the skin from the duck legs and cut/tear the meat from the bones. It will still be pretty warm, so be careful, but don’t be a baby about it, either. Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks and add the duck and the okra to the pot.

Cover and simmer for another 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. I know that 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne sounds tame, but the andouille sausage will add some heat. Add more cayenne if you like or some hot sauce. As the gumbo nears doneness, cook the rice. Remove the gumbo from the heat, discard bay leaves and stir in the filé powder, if you’re using it.

Serve the gumbo in shallow soup bowls. Top with a generous mound of rice and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Pass the hot sauce around the table for those who want more heat and a vinegary zip.

Kitchen Notes

Don’t skip the okra. Okra is a classic southern vegetable that found its way here from Africa. We love it steamed, fried or however. Some people object to its “sliminess,” but that viscous liquid cooks into the broth and helps thicken it. When shopping, avoid overly large okra, as it can be woody. If you can’t find acceptable fresh okra, frozen will do just fine.

Filé powder. This is another staple of Creole and Cajun cooking. Also known as gumbo filé, it is the powdered leaves of sassafras trees. It is used sparingly as a thickening agent and should be stirred into gumbo after it’s removed from the heat; otherwise, it can make the broth stringy. Besides thickening the broth, it adds a kind of root beer flavor. As you see, my recipe calls for all three thickening agents, roux, okra and filé powder. Feel free to omit the filé powder. If you’re looking for a source, we got ours at the The Spice House.

In search of the ultimate fry-up

The Sausage King — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:20:21 +0000

This is a great quirky book written by Matt Smith. Join him as he aims to find the ultimate fry-up experience (mainly in the East of England).

Matt Smith: “Perhaps the English playwright William Somerset Maugham went a little far when he declared that “To eat well in England, you should eat breakfast three times a day.” But I certainly agree that the British breakfast is something that we should enjoy and be proud of. I feel that British cuisine has an unjust reputation throughout the world as bland and unpalatable. Don’t get me wrong, I love food from across the globe and many of my favourite meals originate from Europe, Asia and the Americas however if I had to name my favourite, the full breakfast would be top of the list.”

From supermarkets to pubs and farm shops he tries out many of the places that serve up an all-day-breakfast. Who does the best breakfast?

Buy from Amazon here.

Weatherhead’s traditional sausages are the Housewife’s choice

The Sausage King — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:54:23 +0000

H Weatherhead & Sons butchers of Pateley Bridge are no strangers to winning awards; they have been doing it literally for generations. Andrew Weatherhead the 5^th generation of the family has recently been carrying on the tradition by winning the Housewife’s Choice of sausage at the recent Countryside Live event in Harrogate.

Andrew said “I have a lot to live up to, but with our traditional family recipes we are still winning great awards.”

Weatherheads entered 3 sausage recipes into the competition, which had over 200 entrants and were awarded a 4^th and 6^th as well as the first prize with their traditional pork sausage.

“We couldn’t believe that our other recipes of pork with caramelised onion and pork with honey and mustard also did really well especially as there were so many entrants. We love to try different combinations with our recipes, although it looks like you can’t beat a traditional sausage recipe as this is the one that came out tops!” commented Andrew.

H Weatherhead & Sons Butchers shop has been on Pateley Bridge high street since 1876 and have over the years won 100’s of awards for their sausage, pies, black pudding and meats.

Leeds butchers supreme at Great Yorks competition

The Sausage King — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:34:48 +0000

Leeds butchers reigned supreme at the 2011 Great Yorkshire Pork Pie, Sausage & Products Competition.

Steve Martin, of Bentleys Butchers, Robin Lane, Pudsey, retained the pork pie supreme championship, while Paul Flintoft Butchers, of High Street, Kippax, was supreme sausage champion.

The 23^rd annual competition, the UK’s biggest and best-known regional meat trades contest organised by the Confederation of Yorkshire Butchers Councils and held at Cedar Court Hotel, Bradford, attracted 300 entries from butchers across the county.

Bentleys, which also clinched supreme sausage championship honours in 2010, retained the pork pie title at this year’s renewal with its first prize traditional pork pie, receiving the Ted Jones Supreme Pork Pie Trophy, presented by the competition stalwart, a retired butcher from Wadsley, Sheffield, the Interbake Trophy and product donation by William Jones Packaging,

Steve Martin, who has been running the business for 20 years, said: “The pie is made using a secret recipe, which has been passed down over the years and tweaked by myself.” Bentleys also finished third in the thin pork sausage class.

Paul Flintoft, who established his shop in 2002, saw his first prize thick pork sausages go on to be crowned supreme champion for the first time, receiving the Towers Thompson Trophy, Ripon Select Foods Shield and product donation from WR Wright & Sons.

Paul also won the thick pork sausage trophy in 2006 and 2008, becoming thin pork sausage and overall reserve supreme sausage champion in 2009. His latest title-winning honour means he qualifies for the national “Champion of Champions” sausage-making competition in London next year.

Both the reserve supreme pork pie and sausage titles fell to a first-time competition entrant, Bolster Moor Farm Shop at Golcar in Huddersfield, launched in 2009 and owned by second cousins Simon Haigh and Andrew Whitwam.

The business clinched these honours with its first prize large pork (stand) pies and thin pork sausages, also winning first and second prizes in the speciality sausage class. Bolster Moor received the Willis Hall Cup for Pork Pie Excellence, the Devro Cup, Norman Binks Cup, Oris Shield and Gordon Rhodes Shield.

Bolster Moor Farm Shop butcher and owner’s son Luke Haigh commented: “We’re delighted to have brought home so many trophies for our sausages and large pork pies. A lot goes into perfecting our products to ensure they’re champion quality. On a personal note, as the up & coming next generation of our farm shop business, it’s great to be recognised in this way.”

Netherton Butchers at Hinchliffe Farm Shop, Huddersfield, won the black pudding championship and WR Wright & Sons Trophy, also finishing runner-up in both the large pork pie and thick pork sausage classes.

Gledhills Butchers, of Stanley, Wakefield, won the beef burger championship and WR Wright & Sons Shield, also becoming runner-up in the black pudding class.

A “New Kid on the Block” Trophy, awarded to first-time competition entrants by Cleveland-based Jon Nesbitt Engineering, of Liverton, fell to Rob Inman, of D J Fenton Butchers, Tickhill, Doncaster, who picked up third prizes in both the thick pork sausage and speciality sausage classes.

Kendall’s Farm Butchers, of Pateley Bridge and Harrogate, won the speciality cold eating pie class with its pork, black pudding and apple pie, receiving the John Spencer Memorial Trophy.

Wilsons Butchers, of Crossgates, Leeds, was runner-up in the small pork pie class, with the third prize awarded to new entrant Cannon Hall Farm Shop, of Cawthorne, Barnsley, who also finished third in both the small pork pie and speciality cold eating pie classes.

Nigel Hofmann, of H Hofmann & Sons Butchers, Wakefield, 2010 reserve supreme sausage champion and the reigning national ‘Champion of Champions’ sausage maker, had a break from the sausage classes this year, but finished third in the large pork pie class.

Ellisons Butchers, of Cullingworth, was runner-up in the thin pork sausage class, and Weegmanns Butchers, of Otley, runner-up in the speciality cold eating pie class, with two other Otley butcher J B Wilkinson & Son and Geo Middlemiss & Son, finishing third in the beef burger and black pudding classes respectively.

H Weatherhead & Sons Butchers, of Pateley Bridge, was runner-up in the beef burger class.

Trophies were presented by Confederation of Yorkshire Butchers Councils’ president, Ilkley butcher David Lishman.

Also highly commended as finalists at the 2011 competition were: Small pork pie – Bentleys of Pudsey, Voakes Pies, Whixley, Kendalls Farm Shop, Pateley Bridge, Woods of Carcroft, Furniss, Ben Rhydding, and Keith Dyson, Almondbury. Large pork pie – Farmhouse Fare, Skipton, B & M Collins & Sons, Cleckheaton, Cannon Hill Farm Shop, Cawthorne, Gledhills, Stanley, H Weatherhead & Sons, Pateley Bridge, and H Hofmann & Sons, Wakefield. Speciality cold eating pie – Woods of Carcroft, Gledhills, Stanley, Eatons, Tickhill, H Weatherhead & Sons, Pateley Bridge and Ye Olde Pie & Sausage Shoppe, York.

Thin pork sausage – Paul Flintoft, Kippax, Mark Spauls & Sons, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Parkin, Epworth, Villa Farm Shop, Huddersfield, Metcalfes Beef & Pork, Cleckheaton, and Ellisons, Cullingworth. Thick pork sausage – Bentleys, Pudsey, Ellisons, Cullingworth, Bolster Moor Farm Shop, Golcar, Eatons, Tickhill, Wilsons, Crossgates, Shaun Fairweather, Mirfield, and Furniss, Ben Rhydding. Speciality sausage – Keelham Hall Farm Shop, Thornton, Paul Flintoft, Kippax, H Weatherhead & Sons, Pateley Bridge, Samuel Valentine Urban Food Hall, Allerton, Netherton Butchers at Hinchliffe Farm Shop, Huddersfield, and Parkin, Epworth.

Beef burger – Sutcliffes, Skipton, Headingley Farm Butchers and Weegmanns, Otley.

Croots Farm Shop strikes gold with sausages, pies and meat products during BPEX roadshow

The Sausage King — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 20:27:32 +0000

Derbyshire farm shop Croots has a dozen reasons to celebrate today after scooping 12 awards for its sausages, pies and meat products at the BPEX regional roadshow.

The farm shop near Duffield was awarded three gold, seven silver and two bronze awards at the excellence in pork products event, held at Newark Showground in Nottinghamshire.

Croots Farm Shop owner Steve Croot said he was delighted that every entry put forward by Croots had been given an award at the event, judged by industry experts.

“I am absolutely thrilled for the team,” said Steve. “The products are evaluated by a team of industry experts and points are given for a range of attributes, including appearance, consistency, texture, taste and smell. The judges in the BPEX awards use a set national criteria and so we can quite confidently say that our sausages and pork products are amongst some of the best in the country.”

Croots Farm Shop, based at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, took gold for its mutton rogan josh, black pudding and black pudding with bacon, silver for its mutton and veg sausage, Cumberland sausage, beef and tomato sausage, as well as its Brian Clough Banger – created especially for British Sausage Week this year – and its pork pie, meatballs and lamb and mint pie.

Bronze awards were awarded for Croots’ pork and Roquefort pie and its game pie.

The accolades are the latest in a long line of awards that the butchery and deli counter at Croots have achieved and come just weeks after its Henry Cooper Sausage won through to the regional final of a contest to find Britain’s best banger held during British Sausage Week.

It picked up a gold star award for its pork pie in the Great Taste Awards 2011, and also scooped four accolades in the British Pie Awards 2011, including a gold award for its popular steak and kidney pie.

In May, Croots took three golds and a silver award for its sausages and pies at the 17^th Robin Hood Championship.

Produced by the shop’s in-house butchers, all the pork sausages at Croots are made using free range Packington Pork from Barton-under-Needwood near Burton-upon-Trent. Croots has a range of around 40 different flavours of banger, which it sells on a rotating basis.

Entries to the BPEX awards were a team effort, with Croots deputy manager Margaret Robinson creating the pies and the rogan josh, and butchers and deli counter staff Rob Tomkins, Neil Cartledge and Sylvia Maunder producing the sausages and black puddings.

“It was an excellent team effort,” added Steve Croot, who opened Croots Farm Shop in June 2008 and recently welcomed its 250,000^th customer.

For more information visit www.croots.co.uk

Croots Farm Shop & Kitchen is open Sundays from 10am to 4pm (café until 3.45pm), and from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (café until 4.30pm). It is closed on Mondays.

Le Charcutier Anglais – Marc Frederic

The Sausage King — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:14:49 +0000

See the end of this article for an exclusive offer for Sausagefans.co.uk readers!

I really like reading recipe books which feature tasty sausage dishes but this is taking things to a new level.

This is a beautiful, hardback cookbook you could read in bed or, as I did, with a glass of something by the fire. When I was offered the first draft to read I was happy to but I wasn’t expecting what I found.

In the World of meat Marc, a Charcutier trained in France, has seen it and done it and this book comes from the heart.

He’s talking from experience and the whole book is peppered with nuggets of Marc’s real experiences. History book meets cookbook I suppose but this is so much more.

“This brilliant book is an absolute revelation.”

The flashbacks are an incredible insight into Marc’s World and, for me, really help bring the book to life.

I also like the straight forward, non-fussy way that Marc tells the story and talks you through a recipe. He knows what you should expect and where you might fall down. The recipes are beautifully clear and easy to follow:

It’s not often that I find a book that I read where I am compelled to read facts or information out loud to whoever will listen but this book caused that to happen!

This hardback book with beautiful pictures is the perfect gift for the meat lover in your life!

Sausagefans.co.uk offer: Because I gave a little input on the book, Marc has offered Sausagefans.co.uk readers the book for £30 with free P&P. He will also sign the first 20 copies!

To take advantage of this special offer click add to cart below and check out using PayPal.

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COMPLETE MEATS TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

The Sausage King — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:13:41 +0000

A TRUE BRITISH LEGEND! SOUTH WEST FINDS ITS LEGENDARY BANGER

COMPLETE MEATS TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

Local butcher Complete Meats of Axminster, Devon was today announced as the South West winner with their Ye Olde Pork Sausage by rock legend and British Sausage Week 2011 ambassador, Noddy Holder.

This year, the competition received hundreds of entries and Complete Meats won the South West regional heat to receive their much deserved Golden Sausage Disc and a place in the British Sausage Week Hall of Fame.

Slade frontman, and true British legend, Noddy Holder, has led the search to find Britain’s Legendary Bangers. He’s been touring the country since 31^st October to uncover that little bit of sparkle that makes for a really special sausage.

Commenting on Complete Meats winning sausage, Noddy said: “Complete Meats’ sausage was a real banger! The standard of entries was very high but the Ye Olde Sausage really stood out. It was delicious.”

Shaun Vining of Complete Meats said: “”It’s a handmade recipe that I have worked hard to perfect. I am thrilled to have won today, all the hard work has paid off.”

To celebrate British Sausage Week, independent butchers and supermarkets alike will be running events and special offers so look out for special sausage themed menus in local pubs and restaurants. For those looking to experiment with sausages at home, the British Sausage Appreciation Society have launched their new and exclusive recipe booklet, Legendary British Bangers Greatest Hits Remixed, which includes updates on classic sausage recipes, available to download at http://www.britishsausageweek.com

When shopping for your sausages, don’t forget to look out for quality assurance such as that identified by the Red Tractor Pork logo on pack. This ensures that your sausages have been produced to exacting quality control and welfare standards. That way of course you will also be supporting the very farmers who uphold them.

Visit www.britishsausageweek.com or the Love Pork Facebook Fan Page for recipes and further information about the week.

BROOKFIELD FARM TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

The Sausage King — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:12:16 +0000

A TRUE BRITISH LEGEND! THE EAST OF ENGLAND FINDS ITS LEGENDARY BANGER

BROOKFIELD FARM TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

Local butcher Brookfield Farm, Stevenage, is celebrating today as its ‘Hertbeat Banger’ was crowned most legendary banger in the East of England by rock legend and British Sausage Week 2011 ambassador, Noddy Holder.

This year, the competition received hundreds of entries and Brookfield Farm won the East’s regional heat to receive their much deserved Golden Sausage Disc and a place in the British Sausage Week Hall of Fame.

Commenting on Brookfield Farm’s winning sausage, Noddy said: “Brookfield Farm’s Hertbeat Banger was absolutely delicious. They very much deserve their prize and place in the British Sausage Week Hall of Fame.”

Steve O’Dwer from Brookfield Farm said: “We are delighted that our Hertbeat Banger has been named best banger in the East. The sausage is made using pork farmed in our fields, and is a real tribute to the local countryside. It was a great pleasure to meet Noddy who awarded us our very own Gold Disc!”

Visit www.britishsausageweek.com or the Love Pork Facebook Fan Page for recipes and further information about the week.

LUDLOW FOOD TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

The Sausage King — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:10:16 +0000

A TRUE BRITISH LEGEND! WEST MIDLANDS FINDS ITS LEGENDARY BANGER

LUDLOW FOOD TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

Local butcher Ludlow Food was today announced as the West Midlands winner with their Gloucester Old Spot Traditional Pork Sausage by rock legend and British Sausage Week 2011 ambassador, Noddy Holder.

This year, the competition received hundreds of entries and Ludlow Food won the West Midlands regional heat to receive their much deserved Golden Sausage Disc and a place in the British Sausage Week Hall of Fame.

Slade frontman, and true British legend, Noddy Holder, has led the search to find Britain’s Legendary Bangers. He’s been touring the country since 31^stOctober to uncover that little bit of sparkle that makes for a really special sausage.

Commenting on Ludlow Foods’ winning sausage, Noddy said: “This is a delicious sausage and is a worthy winner of the title of legendary sausage. Ludlow Foods, Gloucester Old Spot Traditional Pork Sausage truly deserve a spot in the Sausage Hall of Fame.”

John Brereton of Ludlow Food’s said: “It feels great to have won the East Midlands category with our Gloucester Old Spot Sausage. It was a privilege to have met Noddy Holder and be presented with the Golden Sausage Disc, such a great achievement!”

When shopping for your sausages, don’t forget to look out for quality assurance, such as that identified by the Red Tractor Pork logo on pack. This ensures that your sausages have been produced to exacting quality control and welfare standards. That way of course you will also be supporting the very farmers who uphold them.

Visit www.britishsausageweek.com or the Love Pork Facebook Fan Page for recipes and further information about the week.

LAKINGS OF LOUTH BUTCHERS TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

The Sausage King — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:08:42 +0000

A TRUE BRITISH LEGEND! EAST MIDLANDS FINDS ITS LEGENDARY BANGER

LAKINGS OF LOUTH BUTCHERS TRIUMPHS AT BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2011

Local butcher Laking of Louth was today announced as the East Midlands winner with their Lincolnshire Sausage by rock legend and British Sausage Week 2011 ambassador, Noddy Holder.

This year, the competition received hundreds of entries and Lakings of Louth won the East Midlands regional heat to receive their much deserved Golden Sausage Disc and a place in the British Sausage Week Hall of Fame.

Commenting on Laking of Louth Butchers’ winning sausage, Noddy said: “The standard of entries was incredibly high in the East Midlands, with many sausages worthy of the title of legendary sausage. Laking of Louths Lincolnshire sausage was among the best I have tasted. They truly deserve a spot in the Sausage Hall of Fame.”

J.R Laking of Laking of Louth Butchers’ said: “We are very proud to have won. This sausage recipe is an original made by my grandfather in 1938 that has been passed through the generations. It was great to meet Noddy and this feels like such an achievement.”

Visit www.britishsausageweek.com or the Love Pork Facebook Fan Page for recipes and further information about the week.