Sausage & parmesan cobbler

• olive oil↗1 tsp tsp
• herby sausages↗12

  (we used Lincolnshire)

• rashers streaky dry-cured smoked bacon↗4

  chopped

• large onion↗1

  chopped

• medium carrot↗1

  chopped

• garlic clove↗1

  crushed

• sage↗10

  leaves, chopped, plus a few whole to decorate

• leaves from 2 thyme sprig

  (optional)

• hot smoked paprika↗1 tsp tsp

  plus an extra sprinkle for the top

• tomato purée↗2 tbsp tbsp
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• dark brown muscovado sugar↗2 tbsp tbsp
• can cannellini beans↗400g g

  drained and rinsed

• Worcestershire sauce↗1 tbsp tbsp
• self-raising flour↗250g g

  plus extra for dusting

• cold butter↗50g

  cut into cubes

• milk↗125ml
• egg↗1

  beaten

• parmesan↗50g

  finely grated

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a wide, shallow pan. Brown the sausages for 5 mins until golden, then remove. Add the bacon to the pan, sizzle for 5-8 mins till golden, then stir in the onion and carrot. Cover and gently cook for 10 mins until soft.

2. 2

   Turn up the heat, add the garlic and half the herbs, and cook for 1 min. Stir in the paprika and tomato purée, give them 1 min to sizzle, then tip in the rest of the stew ingredients and bring to a simmer. Season to taste. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. If your pan doesn’t go in the oven, spoon everything into a large baking dish. Add a splash of water if the beans have begun to soak up the juices.

3. 3

   For the topping, add a pinch of salt to the flour, then rub in the butter until the mix resembles fine crumbs. Beat together the milk, remaining chopped herbs, half the egg and most of the cheese, then tip into the bowl. Using a cutlery knife, bring everything together to a soft dough. Do not knead it. Split the dough into 6 even pieces, dust with a little flour, then roll and squeeze each piece into a rope about 30cm long. roll up into spirals.

4. 4

   Sit the spirals on top of the stew. Brush with leftover egg, then scatter with the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of smoked paprika and poke in a few sage leaves. Bake for 25-30 mins until the cobbler topping is golden and well risen, and the stew is bubbling beneath.