Sometimes we like to have breakfast for supper. On the weekends, we might splurge and have a big breakfast on occasion, but more normal than not . . . we have a big breakfast for supper . . . and by that I mean bacon and eggs, or sausage and eggs, or egg chips and beans, egg and chips, or even a full on proper fry up! It makes sense to have something like that for supper instead of breakfast. At least it makes sense to me!
Today I wanted to make my own breakfast type of sausage patties to have with some scrambled eggs and toast for our supper. You can buy bulk sausage meat at the shops . . . and I suppose you could use that to make breakfast sausages with. Many people use it to make traditional stuffing with at Christmas time. I don't really like it though. I find it's a bit too "pasty" for my liking . . . probably full of fillers and bread. I like a coarser blend. I just prefer to make my own.
It's not all that hard you know . . . and when you make your own, you know exactly what is in it. Mine is purely meat and some seasonings . . . not a filler in sight, seasoned with the traditional flavours of sage and thyme. I like to add a nice jot of black pepper and cayenne pepper for just a bit of a bite. Garlic adds another depth of flavor . . . not too much, mind . . . just one clove.
I am a Canuck . . . and so I also like to add just a touch of Maple syrup. It reminds me of the Maple sausages we can get back home . . . yummo! A bit of salt for seasoning . . . and Bob's your Uncle!!
These are great to make ahead of time and freeze. Then you can take out as many or as few as you like at any given time, which makes them a great make ahead for the upcoming holidays! I hope you will give them a try and that you will like them as much as we do. Just make sure you use not too lean a ground pork. If it's too lean, they won't stay together . . . and like most things, a bit of fat only adds to the scrumminess.
*Breakfast Sausage*Makes 8 servingsPrintable Recipe
This isn't your traditional British Banger, stuffed into a snappy skin . . . but a homemade version, delicately spiced, lightly flavoured with Maple and shaped into patties for easy frying. They are perfect for those special breakfasts which you are going to be cooking over the coming holiday season, as you can mix them up, shape them and then freeze them for up to a month, so they are ready when you need them. Be sure to use a ground pork mix which has a nice balance of fat in it. If your pork is too lean, they won't hold together properly.
2 pounds of ground pork1 TBS of pure Maple Syrup1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced2 tsp of dried sage rubbed and crumbled1 tsp fine sea salt1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper1/2 tsp dried thyme, rubbed and crumbled1/8 tsp cayenne pepper2 TBS butter for cooking
Combine the ground pork, syrup, garlic, spices and seasoning together in a large bowl, using your hands and mixing together gently. Using a greased 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out and shape the mixture into 16 equally sized round patties, and pressing them flat for cooking. (To do this I place them on a plastic cling film lined baking sheet, cover them with another sheet of cling film, top with another baking sheet and press them gently to 1/2 inch thickness.
Once you have shaped your patties, you can either wrap them individually and freeze them in a tightly covered container for up to one month or cook as follows.
Melt 1 TBS of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the patties and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes per side, until cooked through (the juices run clear) and nicely browned. Transfer to a slow oven to keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve hot.Note: This mixture can also be crumbled and cooked and used for breakfast casseroles
