Spanish Style Casserole

NAME: _Spanish Style Casserole

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INGREDIENTS/UTENSILS:
For the sausages:
500g lamb mnce
100g diced pork belly or kidney fat
15mm - 23mm collagen casings (around 2-3mtrs) if making sausages. (recommended)
Group A spices
1tsp each coriander seeds, peppercorns, chilli flakes
2tsp cumin seeds
1tsp raw sugar
Group B spices
1tsp each dried mint flakes, turmeric powder
2tsp sharp paprika powder
1tsp cooking salt
1 dozen green stuffed olives
2-3tbsp olive oil

For the casserole:
1.5cups basmati rice
3cups water
1 tsp cooking salt
0.5cup frozen peas
0.5cup frozen green beans
0.25tsp turmeric
several saffron strands

2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp smoky paprika
1/2tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup chicken stock

several eggs (2 - 4)
fine cubed sharp cheese (vintage cheddar etc)

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METHOD:
To make sausages
Toast the Group A seeds (each separately) in a hot dry frypan, as each starts to roast and becomes fragrant, place in a herb blender or pestle & mortar and grind to a powder, then mix these and the Group B with the mince and finely diced fat for around five to ten minutes, keeping as cool as possible. Refrigerate in between if necessary, use a heavy wooden spoon rather than warm hands, and mix only until some stickiness forms in the mixture.

Fill casings slightly loosely to around 50cm lengths, spiraling each length as for boerewors. Use a wooden skewer to keep flat if necessary.

If not using skins, form into long cylinders around the same diameter and length and coil those, this will definitely need two skewers to keep their shape.

To make casserole
Put rice in a suitable saucepan with the teaspoon of salt, put on stove until saucepan is hot, then add 3 cups of water, stir once, cover the pot, and once boiling reduce heat to a simmer. When almost all the water is absorbed, add the turmeric and saffron and stir well to incorporate, then add the frozen greens and once again stir well. Leave covered on low heat until all water is absorbed, then turn off heat and allow to steam until partly cool.

Meanwhile, fry as many sausage spirals as will cover most of the casserole dish in the olive oil, on medium heat until each spiral is nicely browned. Remove sausages from the pan and set aside.

Warm the oil from frying the sausages to sizzling, add the cayenne, smoky paprika, tomato paste and golden syrup, stir several times, and then add as much of the chicken stock as will make a sauce.

Line a casserole dish with baking paper, then fill with rice to within 2-3cm of the top. Push about a quarter of the cheese cubes into the rice, then lay the cooked sausages over the rice, push olives all around the outside of the sausage sprials, evenly spread the rest of the cheese over, drizzle the tomato sauce over evenly. Break an egg over each sausage spiral, then place in a medium oven and bake until the top is well browned.

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SERVING:
If desired, sprinkle with chopped parsley and coriander leaves, serve immediately. Can be eaten cold but better hot. Each person should take a whole section.

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NOTES:
The sausage is loosely based on mergue sausages, but the amount of spiciness is turned down a bit.

I used collagen casings but I also give the recipe for chevup style skinless sausage style.

The spiral coil in both styles of making the sausages needs to be tight so that the egg doesn't run through.

If you like, you can beat a few eggs and drizzle them over the rice before putting the sausages etc on top.

Size your casserole dish for the number of people who will be dining - each spiral and the rice under it forms a full meal portion.

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