Slow-cooked venison sausages with capsicum, tarragon and mustard

Slow-cooked venison sausages with capsicum, tarragon and mustard. Photo / Olivia Moore - That Green Olive

If you’re at home these school holidays, why not bust out the casserole pan and get dinner on the way? Slow-cooked stovetop casseroles are great because you can prep everything when you have the time, then let it all simmer for an hour or two before dinner while you vacuum/tend to the garden/entertain the kids/entertain your dinner guests.

This casserole features tarragon, which I’m loving at the moment, as a sweet and fragrant herb to complement punchy mustard and hearty venison sausages. After a couple of hours cooking, the onion and capsicum in this dish go really soft and caramelised. This really is a comfort meal but light and herby enough to be enjoyed during warmer weather.

I’ve used my dad’s homemade venison sausages in this dish - of course you could use beef, pork or lamb sausages instead.

Visit Olivia’s website for more recipes: www.thatgreenolive.com

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

● 2 Tbsp olive oil

● 550g venison sausages

● 2 onions, halved and sliced into wedges

● 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

● 1 stick celery, finely chopped

● 2 capsicums, core removed, sliced into 2cm strips

● ½ tsp caraway seeds

● 75g shoulder bacon, chopped

● ¼ cup white wine

● 1 Tbsp brown sugar

● 2 tsp grated horseradish

● 1 tsp white vinegar

● 1 tsp dried tarragon

● 1 tsp salt

● ¼ cup cream

● 2 tsp mustard

Method

1. Heat oil in a large casserole pan over medium-high heat. Add sausages and cook for 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until nicely browned all over.

2. Remove sausages from the pan and set aside, then add onion, garlic and celery to the hot pan. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until well browned in spots. Add capsicum and caraway seeds, and cook for 3 minutes until vibrant.

3. Add bacon and vinegar, and cook for 1 minute, then add wine, sugar, horseradish, tarragon, salt and 2 cups of water. Nestle in the cooked sausages.

4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1½ hours, until deeply caramelised and reduced. Remove from heat.

5. Whisk the cream and mustard in a small bowl to combine, then add to the pan and gently stir through. Season well with pepper.

6. Serve hot, with a drizzle of cream and a sprinkle of thinly sliced spring onions.