Sausage Ragu For Breakfast, Anyone?

i’ve spent the last four weekends –

watching the sun rise on top of Forest Hill. Also the past four Friday nights eating hearty Italian fare (pasta alla norma, lasagne, aubergine parmigiana, sausage ragu); the past four Saturday mornings drinking Aeropress coffee. Weekends full of red wine, countless beers and focaccia from the farmer’s market; 6pm Friday night trips to Sainsbury’s, always going to the check out to see our old mate who once asked me if I had a Nectar Card and when I replied no, he said, “well, you’ve not got much going for you, have ya?” LOL.

Weekends here are very different to how I’ve lived them during my very long-standing single life in Hackney. A perpetual homebody, I’ve replaced cosy weekend nights-in (probably rewatching Someone Great on Netflix) for pubs in Shoreditch I never knew existed. I’ve eaten more pizza in the last month than I have in my life, and apparently I’m now a huge fan 0f Guinness. Who knew?

The rituals of solo cooking have been a constant comfort. Cooking outside of my own kitchen is always a struggle. (Few other kitchens I’ve cooked in have both homemade kimchi, litre bottles of soy sauce, countless jars of tahini and an endless supply of dukkah). As someone with issues relinquishing control, either allowing someone to cook for me, or cooking without my knives/plates/dishes/ingredients feels like an arduous task.

And so we adapt to new environments, find ways to let go of our habits that have kept us cocooned and start drinking pints at the pub with new people. This slight change has coincided with the changing of the seasons, something I particularly loathe, despite being a huge fan of cold, crisp, sunny autumn days (how many of those actually come around, though?). This is a girl who sent a real life text to her friend Meg with the words: “I get an identity crisis when summer ends. Like, who am I without a tan and white linen?” Answer TBC.

Perhaps I’m someone who eats pasta for breakfast; neglects any sort of exercise routine once the clocks change; cuts her hair short for the thrill of having her head touched; eats Jolene pastries on a weekly basis; can’t measure flour for shit; makes too many cheese sandwiches; buys £10 Palestinian olive oil; cries in the bathroom when she has to meet new people. Cooks dumplings at 2am; plays ping pong four hours later with an Americano and a bottle of sparkling water; watches the sunrise on the sofa at 7am gurgling about her dreams. Listens to the same Lyves track on repeat; wears different coloured Levi Ribcage jeans on rotation; buys bright sweaters only to realise that she’ll only ever dress like a 90s school teacher. Gets sweaty every time she climbs a hill; puts on make up only to take it all off. Roasts a chicken every two weeks so she has stock for her beans, and cooks the same fennel and lemon pearl barley dish in different iterations because #laziness.

So that’s me in an autumn nutshell. A little rounder, more partial to one pot dishes and back on that dairy train because winter is coming, and we could all use an extra layer or two.

Here’s to awkward transitions, crying in bathrooms and eating ragu for breaky.

Cat x

saucy sausage ragu.

Sausage ragu has been what I’d like to think as my signature dish since I moved back to London. In the past it’s been used to lure in dates, impress mates, feed dinner parties and create leftovers so you can eat ragu on toast with crispy sage and fried eggs (this is the ultimate hangover cure).

You’ll need:
– 1 pack of good quality sausages (just plain pork – taken out of their casings)
– 2 medium sized carrots, diced
– 1 onion, diced
– 5 garlic cloves thinly sliced
– 3 celery stalks, diced
– 4-5 sage leaves
– A few pinches of fennel seeds
– A few pinches of chilli flakes
– 1 tin chopped tomatoes
– 1 large glass of red wine (plus more for boozing)
– Salt + pepper
– Neutral oil for cooking
– Extra virgin olive oil for final touches
– Loads of grated parmesan/pecorino
– Pasta of your choice (I used mezze rigatoni and I’m mildly obsessed)

Brown the meat with a glug of oil and a small pinch of the fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Set aside once cooked through on a plate. In the same pan (a heavy bottomed, large number) heat up some more oil and add the soffrito (aka carrots, celery and onion) and the garlic with some more fennel seeds and chilli flakes. Throw in a pinch of salt just because. Once softened, put the sausage meat back in, mix together with the sage leaves and then add the chopped tomatoes. Swill the can with water and add that in (about a can and a half’s worth). Add the wine. Take a sip of your other glass too, while you’re at it.

Season with a touch more salt then bring it up to a boil. Once it’s rolling, turn it right down and leave it (lid off) for about an hour (or just over half of Annie Hall, which is how I measured it). Honestly if you had more time, you could pop it in the oven with the lid on for about 3 hours, super low (150) and slow. But if you haven’t had time to prep ahead, an hour or so on the hob should be pretty good. Cook the pasta so it’s just al dente, save a mug of pasta water then drain the rest. In the pasta pan, add a small knob of butter and a bit of the pasta water, then spoon in the sauce until it looks thick and glossy.

Serve in big pasta bowls, add more sauce on top, all the cheese that you deserve and a little glug of extra v. Eat listening to this vibey Insecure-inspired playlist and eat the leftovers in the morning (if there are any).

food stories.

– New York Mag's Grub Street investigates what really went on behind the scenes of Manhattan's Mission Chinese Food
– A note on how best to pair wine with McDonalds, c/o Vanessa Price (via Grub Street, again)
– The New Yorker on how to perpetuate the taste of summer: ratatouille

a few leftovers.

– Fried polenta, scrambled eggs, bacon and greens? Hello autumn breakfast.
– I urge you to cook Bre Graham's chicken piccata with mash
– All over Forza Wine's IG, particularly for this octopus and chickpea dish
– Couldn't love Anders Frederik Steen's beautifully written wine labels more
– This chicken and vegetable gratin from Merlin Labron-Johnson via The Modern House
– Ex-Bon Appétit editor Molly Baz's first book is coming out, I'm v excited
– I finally get pizza. Would really like this NYC slice from Scarrs
– A case for 10" pans from Lucas Sin via Munchies
– Londoners, Rochelle Canteen has adapted their outside space for winter!

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