methods of cooking

[welsh wizard]

I was just wondering what method do people find best for cooking the skinned wonders?

I ask because I have tried frying, grilling, the silex (if thats how you spell it), oven and just this evening BBQ. I used to wax lyricial aqbout oven cooking but to be fair because you cant see how they are doing sometimes they come out a little dry depending on the mix. However tonight my sausage making chums I tried the BBQ, well it was not raining here in Ludlow. The results were fantastic, far better that the oven. I suppose it was because I could see the little blighters cooking and could judge when they should be turned etc. Frying is OK but you get too intense a heat which sometimes makes the skin split and grilling has realy never worked for me.

So what method do you find the best and what do you attribuite this to?

Do different mixes favour different methods of cooking in your experience? - PS I have never tried boiling them!

[Oddley]

Hi welsh wizard,

The way I mainly cook my sausages is to grill them. When they are well browned all the way round I know they are cooked.

I also sometimes fry them but it takes a lot longer on a med to low gas to cook them through. But I do like the caramelised fat on the outside.

I also sometimes quick fry them split them and then fry the inside. this is quicker and I like the crunch of them. So really, I cook them as the fancy takes me.

[welsh wizard]

Thanks Oddley good reply, I dont seem to have the time to choose a method of cooking just the kids want to eat now and possibly that is why this evening being relaxed in an alcoholic belly distending sort of way I have just discovered the slow cooking methiod, really I could not be bothered to get up off the seat!- have you ever tried to BBQ the little blighters?

[Paul Kribs]

Welsh Wizard,

I have boiled sausages.. Hogs Pudding, which is basically a West Country sausage. You don't exactly boil them, the water must be just below a simmer, to eliminate splitting. Seem to recall they took about 15 - 20 mins. They are then removed and allowed to cool. They can be eaten cold or sliced and fried as a breakfast type sausage. There is a pic of some on my website.

I cut mine into pieces and cooked them in a tomato based bean cassoulet. Although they were nice, they weren't as tastey as an proper cooked sausage.

I oven cook them in a preheated medium oven for about 40 mins or BBQ them with the rack about 6" above the heat, which I have set on low for about 1/2 hour.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Oddley]

I have BBQed sausages. I like to cook them first then finish them off on the BBQ. This makes sure they are cooked and because they are not on the BBQ to long don't get burned but retains the BBQ smoked flavour.

[aris]

Nothing beats a BBQ'd sausage - particularly Boerewors.

I've never had to pre-cook them though. Cooked correctly on a medium heat on the BBQ they should come out fine.

[deb]

Obviously the BBQ is the way to go if possible, but this being England this is not always the case.
In the unlikely event that the barbie can't be used I fry sausages. They need to be cooked nice and slowly to ensure they are cooked through but once they're cooked through I whack up the heat and caramalise the outside, be careful, don't burn them. They take about half an hour to cook and need plenty of turning, especially when the heat goes up, but they cook lovely.
I never grill them as I find it dries them out too much and oven cooking just doesn't do it for me, there's something not quite right about an oven cooked sausage to me.

[Shaun]

When weather permits BBQ all the way. Other than that frying on low to medium heat, "I love the sweet caramelised flavour". The only time they go into an oven is in a stew/cassulet. I tend not to grill them, unless I look in the mirror and feel guilty.

[Paul Kribs]

Deb

I am able to use my BBQ all year, I have it built in under a canopy. Here is a pic of the set up. The BBQ is the pale brick feature on the right hand side, with the chimney vent exiting through the roof.
http://www.btinternet.com/~happydudevir/gardencanopy.jpg It gives just enough cover to keep you dry when cooking, keeps most of the wind out, and the wife and I spend many hours outside the house.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[aris]

Very nice indeed. How on earth does your wife reach the clothesline?

[Paul Kribs]

Aris, I think she nags it down

Obviously she can't use much of the clothes line over the canopy, but this was built after my son moved out so there's just me and her.. a compromise if you like. But she can raise and lower from both ends of the garden.

I can feel another deviation from thread coming on..

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Shaun]

Deviate from thread on here "never" By the way Paul are there any koi carp in that pond

[Paul Kribs]

Shaun

There are Koi's in the pond none more than about 5 lbs, and an old grey/bronze ghostie about 13 lbs, a beautiful mirror of a similar weight (deeper body so could be bigger). The mirror can be hand fed. Also have some nice rudd, orfes, goldfish and a tench about 2 1/4 lbs which I hardly ever see.
BTW, it is 21 ft long, 8 ft wide and 4 ft deep, with filters either end.. must be about 3,000 gallons total.

And NO, I don't consider BBQing them.. Thought I'd add that to keep the thread on track.

Regards, Paul Kribs

[Shaun]

LOL

[deb]

Nice set up Paul and a lovely looking garden too.
We're in the process of doing a bit to the garden at the moment and I would love to include a covered BBQ/Patio area. We have an odd arrangement here as we have a pedestrian access (to the other houses in the terrace NOT a public access) across the back of all the properties, so our garden is not directly attached to the house. We have an area outside the back door that runs alongside the kitchen and we have a small table and a couple of chairs and some plants out there. Trying to decide where to put a covered area would be a problem. My husband is not particularly keen on the garden and spends most of his outdoor time on the area beside the house (but he doesn't fancy having the area covered), he only seems to venture into the garden to do work on his bikes! We don't want to go too mad here as it is not where we intend to end our days, but as we'll stay here long enough for our daughter to finish school and possibly Uni it'll be a few years so maybe I'll have to have some more "grand ideas" for hubby to follow.