Both of these sausage-based delights are ideal for gatherings, can be prepared in advance, and pair excellently with ice-cold beers. God bless the sausage. Whether your team is winning, losing, embarrassing, or delighting, everyone will consider you the Cristiano Ronaldo of halftime snacks if you serve either of these. The prawn and sausage toasts can be made ahead and stored in the fridge with greaseproof paper between slices; then simply fry them when needed. Similarly, for the hot dogs: prep everything in advance, then when the whistle blows, boil the sausages, steam the buns, and dig in.
Reuben(esque) Hot Dogs
I own a brilliant one, but Katz's Deli in New York is surely everyone's desert island sandwich shop. This hot dog is a little piece of heaven, and is often enjoyed at my house while reminiscing about Katz's extraordinary sandwiches. Your local Polish shop is a great place to find less industrial hot dog sausages, much better than supermarket options.
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | Makes: 2
- 2 thumb-thick smoked sausages (e.g., kielbasa myśliwska or frankfurters)
- 2 hot dog buns, split lengthways
- 1 pinch caraway seeds
- 1 small pinch fine sea salt
- 60g sauerkraut (drained weight; drain for 30 minutes if watery)
- 2 tbsp very finely chopped onion
For the Pangrattato:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 20g fresh sourdough breadcrumbs
For the Russian Dressing:
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 heaped tbsp coarsely grated or finely chopped gherkins or sweet dill pickles
- ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp white-wine vinegar
- 3 good dashes Tabasco
Method: First, make the pangrattato. Heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, fry breadcrumbs for about 5 minutes until deep golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper. Mix all Russian dressing ingredients in a bowl; taste and adjust. In a saucepan wide enough for the sausages, bring 2.5cm water to a boil. Add sausages and boil for 5 minutes. If using a metal colander or steamer basket, place it over the pan and steam the buns briefly until soft. Grind caraway seeds and salt to a powder in a mortar. Place a hot sausage in each bun, cover with Russian dressing, roll the sausage to coat, add more sauce, then top with sauerkraut, raw onion, caraway powder, and pangrattato. Enjoy!
Sausage and Prawn Toasts
My dear friend Lorcan Spiteri is a brilliant cook and fryer. He single-handedly made prawn toast cool again by serving it as a starter at his former London restaurant, Caravel. This recipe blends sausagemeat with prawns, adding a denser, chewier texture that elevates it to one of the greatest unexpected breakfast dishes. Lorcan serves it with homemade chilli jam, but sweet chilli sauce with extra vinegar works well. Honestly, the toast is so good it hardly needs anything beyond a cold beer.
Prep: 10 min | Chill: 1+ hr | Cook: 30 min | Serves: 6 as a starter
- 400g raw peeled king prawns
- 200g sausagemeat or skinned sausages, at room temperature
- 2 tsp light or Japanese soy sauce
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp rice, malt, or white-wine vinegar
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 20g fresh root ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped
- 1 red chilli (large), stalk, pith, and seeds removed, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp finely chopped coriander (stalks and all)
- 5 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 5 tbsp white sesame seeds
- 6 extra-thick slices soft white bread (e.g., Hovis or Warburtons Toastie)
- 400–500ml rapeseed or vegetable oil
- Condiments of your choice (optional; excellent with Lao Gan Ma chilli crisp)
- Ice-cold lagers (optional)
Method: Dry the prawns thoroughly by pressing between kitchen paper. In a food processor, combine sausagemeat with half the prawns, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, garlic, and ginger; blitz until smooth. Chop remaining prawns into small chunks and mix into the paste with chilli and coriander. Mix black and white sesame seeds on a flat plate. Spread the prawn and pork mixture evenly on the bread slices, pressing firmly. Press the paste side into the sesame seeds to coat completely. Stack slices, seeded side up, with baking paper between each; refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or 2) to firm up. Preheat oven to 70°C (50°C fan) and line a baking sheet with kitchen paper. Heat oil in a large frying pan to 180°C (a bread cube should sizzle and turn golden in about 20 seconds). Fry slices seeded side down in batches for 2.5 minutes, then flip carefully and fry another 2.5 minutes. Transfer cooked toasts to the warm oven while frying remaining. Cut diagonally and serve with condiment, cold beer, or nothing at all.
These recipes are edited extracts from Cooking with Sausages: Delicious Things to Make with Everything from Chipolatas to Chorizo by Max Halley, published by DK at £16.99.
