BAKED RICE WITH SMOKED DOLCE SAUSAGE

Dinner is done in 30 minutes with this easy one pot tasty meal. The rice takes on all the wonderful spicy flavour of the paprika and sausages. To get your green fix, you could add a cupful of frozen peas, or broccoli florets when adding the tomatoes. Or simply stir through a large handful of spinach leaves after cooking, the leaves will wilt during the 5 minutes of resting time. Alternatively, serve with a salad.

serves 4

1 packet Torello Farm Smoked Dolce sausages (3) sausages, cut into 8mm wide slices

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

3 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

Peel and juice of half a lemon, pith removed

Sea salt

Black pepper

300g (1 ½ cups) basmati rice (white or brown)

750ml (3 cups) chicken or vegetable stock (add extra 80ml (⅓ cup) if using brown rice)

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Finely grated zest of half a lemon

Heat a deep sided heavy based frying pan with a tight fitting lid (enamelled cast iron is perfect) over a medium heat. Add the sliced sausages and cook for 1-2 minutes each side until browned. Transfer to a plate, leaving the pan on the heat. Add the oil, onions and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the paprika and tomatoes, then add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, lemon juice and rice and cook for a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the stock, increase heat to high and bring to a high simmer. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes or until rice is just cooked, it could take up to 20 minutes (If using brown rice, cook 25-30 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid. Scatter over the parsley and finely grate lemon zest over the top. Serve

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, August 2025