Brian Turner's spicy sausage hotpot recipe

TV chef Brian Turner adds a kick to this traditional hotpot with chilli powder, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Ingredients

• 400g pack pork sausages
• 3 onions, peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 10ml sweet chilli powder
• 1tsp thyme
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 400g cannellini beans, drained
• 400g red kidney beans, drained
• Handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

For the topping

• 15g butter
• 15ml plain flour
• 150ml milk
• 5ml Dijon mustard
• 5ml Worcestershire sauce
• 125g strong cheddar
• 2 eggs, separated

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC/400F/gas mark 6. Dry-fry the pork sausages in a large frying pan, till they are brown all over. They do not need to be cooked through. Put to one side and when cool enough to handle, cut into 2cm slices.
2. In the same pan, fry the onion and garlic until soft and golden.
3. Add the celery and peppers and stir-fry for about 2-3 mins. Add the chilli powder and thyme and cook for 1 min before adding the tomatoes and sausage. Bring to the boil. Cover tightly and simmer for 20-25 mins or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
4. Uncover and stir in the beans and cook for a further 5 mins, add seasoning to taste.
5. Pour into an oven-proof dish, and leave to cool. Whilst the sausage and bean mixture is cooling, start the topping for the hotpot.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 min.
7. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to the boil, then stir over a low heat until thickened.
8. Remove from the heat and beat in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, grated cheese and egg yolks.
9. Whisk in the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the cheese mixture.
10. Spoon the topping onto the bean and sausage mixture, working as lightly and as quickly as possible.
11. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15 mins until puffed up and golden. Serve immediately, sprinkled with flat leaf parsley.