Sausage and Kidney Casserole

10:00am Friday 7th December 2007

THE delicious taste of beef and lamb offal is set to make a renaissance in 2008 as consumers make a return to traditional dishes offering exciting flavours and textures such as oxtail, kidneys, liver, tonge and more.

With food trends turning to locally-sourced, nutrient-rich foods as well as a conscious effort being made to reduce waste, Sophie Grigson, the best-selling foor writer and cook, has teamed up with the English Beef and Lamb Executive to promote this latest dining trend.

She said: "So many people these days don't realise that offal is not only extremely delicious, but can be a total bargain. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it is one of the great negelected delicacies.

"Most types of offal are easy and quick to cook and work well not only in traditional British dishes, but also with the Mediterranean and Asian flavours that we love so much."

Here's chance to tuck in to Grigson's recipe for sausage and kidney casserole.

WHAT DO I NEED:Serves 4Preparation time: 25 minutesCooking time: Under two hours4 lamb's kidneys, cleaned and cut into quartersSalt and freshly milled black pepper450g/1lb lamb or beef sausages1 small onion, pooled and chopped2 leeks, thinly sliced2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced15ml/6 tbsp plain flour1-2 fresh bay leaves450ml/three-quarters of a pint good, hot lamb or vegetable stock10ml/2tsp English mustard power1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes45ml/3tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsleyFor the herb dumplings:175g/6oz self-raising floursalt75g/3oz butter, cubed30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley60ml/4tbsp cold waterWHAT SHOULD I DO?:Preheat the oven to Gas mark 3/170C/325F.Place the kidneys into a small bowl and season.

Heat a large non-stick pan under moderate heat and dry fry the sausages for five to seven minutes.

Add the kidneys and cook for two minutes until brown. Transfer to a 1.2L/2pint ovenproof casserole dish.

Add the vegetables to the frying pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until brown and transfer to a casserole dish. Sprinkle over the flour.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, cover and cook in the oven or on the hob for one-and-a-half hours, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the dumplings; place the flour, salt and butter in a large bowl, rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips and add the herbs. Stir in enough water to form a smooth dough and shape into eight evenly-sized dumplings. Cover and set aside.

Twenty minutes before the end of cooking, remove the stew from the oven, add the dumplings and return to the oven uncovered.

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

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