sausages served with parsnip and apple cakes and steamed cabbage

The inspiration for this dish struck on a Saturday, about a year or so ago. I remember as it was Hugh-Fearnley Whittingstall’s first food column in the Guardian Weekend, and it was all about apples. His recipe for parsnip and apple cakes struck a chord in my heart, I think it’s fair to say.

My first thought was to pair these cakes with sausages and a dab of Colman’s mustard. But sausages aren’t exactly the healthiest option on the block. Last time I made these, I only allowed myself two sausages, but they were approximately 180 calories each, which is quite a lot, especially considering the saturated fat content.

But voila! I was walking through the supermarket last week and spied Sainsbury’s extra lean Cumberland sausages. I was immediately suspicious, and snatched them off the shelf to check pork content – miraculously, over 70%. But only 75 calories a sausage – hooray!

But the taste test had yet to ensue. Not only did these extra lean gems had to pass muster with me, they had to please the Yorkshire-born and bred husband, who is, shall we say, partial to sausages. He’s very protective of which ones we eat, and I did wonder if extra-lean ones would somehow demasculinise him. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, I had successfully convinced him that we should purchase them, under the understanding that if he did not enjoy them, we would never, ever, ever buy them again.

Phew. We made it out of the supermarket unscathed. But come Saturday evening, it was the final test.

Parsnip and apple cakes
(serves 2)
click here for Hugh’s recipe.

Basically, you need 300 g of grated parsnip, 300 g of grated apple, 2 tbsp of flour, 1 egg (beaten) and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix together.

(I contemplated adding some thyme into the mix, although I decided against it as I didn’t want it to overpower the delicate flavours.)

Make into eight patties, squeezing out excess juice (this part is crucial). Fry in two batches in groundnut oil. Hugh calls for enough to cover the pan generously, but I maintain you should stick to about 2 tsp of oil per batch. You just need to keep an eye on them and make sure the heat isn’t too high, so that they burn.

Fry for 10 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes. Keep the first batch warm while you do the second.

Serve with grilled sausages, steamed shredded savoy cabbage, and a dollop of Colmans.

Calories: 450 for 2 sausages, 4 parsnip and apple cakes, 150-200 g cabbage, 1 tsp of Colmans

The verdict? My husband loved the sausages and said he’s happy for us to buy those again. He had three sausages with dinner, which is a good way to bulk up the meal for anyone who’s especially hungry.