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Rougail saucisses
Rougail saucisses: Réunion's smoked sausages in a spicy tomato, ginger and onion sauce, with rice and beans
On Réunion Island, rougail saucisses is the everyday favourite cooked in a big cast-iron pot for family lunches, beach picnics and Sunday gatherings, and it is a pork dish built on smoked pork sausages. The sausages are blanched, browned, then simmered in a thick sauce of onions, ripe tomatoes, garlic, ginger, turmeric and fresh chilli until everything turns rich and slightly smoky. It is always served Creole-style with white rice and grains (red beans stewed with garlic and thyme) and, for those who like heat, a spoonful of fresh tomato-chilli rougail on the side. Chef's tip: blanch the sausages first; it removes excess salt and fat so the sauce tastes clean and bright.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the rougail
For the beans (grains)
To serve
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Prick 1 ¾ lb smoked pork sausages, put them in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and cut into 2 cm slices.
12 minStep 2: Pound 4 garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger, 2 fresh red bird's eye chillies and ½ tsp coarse salt in a mortar (or blitz) to a rough paste.
Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and fry the sausage slices for 8 minutes, until browned on both sides.
8 minStep 4: Add 3 onions and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Add the garlic-ginger paste and 1 tsp ground turmeric and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
9 minStep 5: Add 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoes and 3 thyme sprigs, stir well, cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, until the tomatoes have collapsed.
15 minStep 6: Uncover and simmer for 15–20 minutes more, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and the oil starts to separate at the edges. Don't add water: a watery sauce is the most common mistake with rougail. The sausages should reach 160°F in the centre.
20 minStep 7: Meanwhile, rinse 14 oz long-grain white rice and cook it in plenty of salted boiling water for 12 minutes, until tender. Drain.
15 minStep 8: For the grains, warm 1 tbsp sunflower oil in a pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves for 5 minutes. Add 1 ¾ lb tinned red kidney beans and 1 ¼ cups water and simmer for 15 minutes, crushing a few beans to thicken.
20 minStep 9: Remove the thyme, taste the rougail for salt and serve with the rice and beans, scattered with spring onion.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 780 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rougail saucisses take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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