Venison sausages with roasted garlic

Serves 6-8

Sausages are often underrated and we believe they deserve to be on the menu more than just part of a summer barbecue. Source good sausages from your local butcher or supermarket. In this recipe we used Blackball sausages from the West Coast of the South Island, made with 100 percent New Zealand meat. Try and get your hands on some manuka smoked butter; it will add a smoky element that takes this dish to the next level. The Whitestone brand is available at most supermarkets and is heaps of fun to play with. After you have made this dish, try adding the butter to mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, pasta sauces, grilled meat or seafood.

Ingredients

• 2 whole garlic bulbs
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 10 venison sausages (or flavour of your choice)
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced thinly
• 12 button mushrooms, washed and sliced
• Flakey sea salt
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, diced and crushed using the back of a knife
• 50g manuka smoked butter (we used Whitestone)
• 1 Tbsp fresh oregano, woody stalks removed and chopped
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup unsalted beef stock
• 1 cup red wine
• 10 yams, trimmed and halved if large

Method

1. Place the whole garlic bulbs in the oven at 175ºC and roast for one hour, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.
2. In a large, high-sided pan add the oil and saute the sausages over a medium heat until brown. Remove the sausages and set aside.
3. Add the onions to the pan and saute until translucent. Add the mushrooms and a good sprinkle of salt. Sauté for a further five minutes and then add the garlic and butter.
4. After five minutes, add the herbs and tomato paste stirring to combine.
5. Sprinkle over the flour and stir over heat to cook out the flour.
6. Gradually add the stock and wine, stirring continuously to prevent lumps forming. The sauce should gradually thicken. If it becomes too thick add more liquid.
7. Add the sausages back into the pan with the yams.
8. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat until the sausages are cooked through.
9. To serve, squeeze out the garlic pulp from the roasted garlic and place on top of the sausages.