Sausage and fennel casserole

The joy of a good snorker casserole. As chance would have it I've still got a few wild fennel seed heads tumbleweeding around the kitchen; the perfect addition to this Spanish-style one pot...


12 Good quality pork sausages
3 Rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
A splash of cider
4 garlic bulbs, sliced
2Tsp Wild fennel seeds
1 Red Chilli, finely chopped
1Tsp Fresh thyme leaves
2 Red onions, chopped into wedges
1 Bulb fennel, sliced lengthways into wedges
2 Tins chopped tomatoes
1 Tin Borlotti beans
1 Tin black eyed peas
200ml Chicken stock
3Tsp Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Jacket potatoes and parsley, to serve


1 Fry the sausages until they’ve gained a bit of golden colour, then put to one side (it doesn’t matter if they’re not cooked all the way through).
2 fry the bacon in a shallow pan until crispy. Remove the bacon before de-glazing the pan with a splash of cider. Add the garlic, fennel seeds, chilli and thyme and stir on a low heat for about five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (including the sausages and bacon) and keep on a medium simmer for a good 35-45 minutes. Serve with crispy jacket potatoes and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.