I have flavoured sausage meat - how can I turn it into a yum stuffing?

[OhYouMerryMerryKitten]

I did it last year with plain sausagemeat but can't remember how. This year the farm shop had sausagemeat with chestnut and cranberry. Its to go with goose (and I'm going to use the excess sausage meat to make sausage rolls for nibbling over the next few days))

I have this recipe, based on plain sausagemeat:

8oz/200g sausagemeat
1 onion chopped and fried
1 clove garlic crushed
1 grated dessert apple
1oz/25g fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 teaspoon sage/marjoram/thyme
1/2 tablespoon parsley
salt and pepper
1 small egg beaten to bind ingredients

I think the sage/marjoram/thyme are optional, choose whichever. Remember that dried herbs are always more strong in flavour than fresh. Personally I'd opt for thyme. You could leave out the garlic and apple if you wanted, but I think it would all go well with goose.

mmm - that sounds really nice and jolly easy. How long do you cook it for? I shan't cook it in the goose as dds never had goose before so I don't want to make it all goosey in case shes not keen.

I just used to stick it in the oven until the top looked a bit crispy, but never timed it accurately! You will probably only need a small bit each, it's more like a substitute for chipolatas. You could 'dilute' it with more breadcrumbs if it might be too rich or fatty. Perhaps that is why the apple is included. It might drain excess fat better if made into balls for cooking, I just used to do it in a shallow foil tray and cut slices. Before serving you could pop the balls on some kitchen roll to absorb some grease.

If you want to go posh... then lay some stretched streaky bacon on some foil, spread the sausagemeat mixture on the top - add a layer of cranberries and then use the foil to roll it into a bacon wrapped stuffing roll - with a nice jewelled centre. Looks dead impressive but is dead easy.

About 8-12 rashers of bacon - I use 12 usually but then am extravagent at Christmas.

oh wow jollypirate! Is that fresh cranberries? Can I do it the day before?

Fresh or frozen according to Good Food magazine - yep - can be done the day before. Hoping to do mine one evening this week and then freeze it - takes about 45 mins to cook in the oven.

Recipe is here

Brilliant - thanks
Will be the poshest bit of our dinner!