Sausage and Red Pepper Hotpot

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 8 spicy pork sausages
• 4 rashers smoked bacon, finely chopped
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed and cut into large chunks
• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 garlicclove, crushed
• 300ml/½ pint chicken stock
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato purée
• 2 fresh thymesprigs
• 250g/9oz baby new potatoes, skin on, sliced into thick discs
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• freshly cooked green vegetables, to serve

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large deep-frying pan or casserole dish over a high heat. Add the sausages and fry until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Add the bacon to the pan and fry for a few minutes until crisp; remove and set aside with the sausages.
3. Add the onion, red pepper, carrot and garlic and fry for 5 minutes over a high heat. Add the stock, tomatoes, tomato purée and thyme and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
4. Return the bacon and sausages to the pan, cover and simmer over a gentle heat for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced a little and the vegetables are tender.
5. Serve with freshly cooked green vegetables.