Chef Who Cooked For The Queen Claims People Have Been Cooking Sausages All Wrong

While you may think you’ve got your fry-up or bangers and mash nailed, a chef who has cooked for the Queen has revealed there are a number of things many of us are doing wrong when it comes to cooking sausages. 

Award-winning Michelin-starred chef Jeff Baker, who has previously cooked for our Liz, believes that there are five steps to a perfect banger, having also shared the top mistakes that people make. 

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Baker, an executive development chef who works at Farmison & Co, told the Daily Star there are three things we should always avoid.

Firstly, he believes you shouldn’t prick the skins when cooking quality sausages with high meat content and natural skins. 

According to Baker, this can cause juices to run out, meaning you may end up with a dry, tasteless sausage. 

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He then warned against two cooking techniques, including deep-frying – which he says can make the skin tough and the sausage dry. 

Baker says you also shouldn’t ‘bake your sausages’, as it prevents the exterior from developing a deeply savoury, umami taste. 

As for what makes the perfect sausage, Baker believes there are five key steps. 

1. This begins with removing the sausages from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking - something that helps the meat cook evenly while preventing the skin from splitting when it hits the heat. 
2. You should then pop your sausages in the pan, using a heavy-based non-stick frying pan and placing it on a low to medium heat. 
3. Add a teaspoon of duck or goose fat to the pan, swirling it around until the base is coated, before disposing of any excess fat. 
4. Now the sausages can go in, being careful to make sure they’re not touching each other as you cook them on a constant heat – turning regularly to ensure they get a rich golden colour. Baker recommends 10 to 12 minutes cooking time for a traditional thick sausage. 
5. Finally, you should rest the sausages for a few minutes before serving, just like you would with steak, producing a tender, juicy banger. Once they’re cooked, they should be firm to touch, and read an internal temperature of 70°C. 

Next time you're on breakfast duties, all you've got to do is remember these top tips to impress with a fry-up fit for a royal. And if it's that good, you definitely won't have to help with the washing up.