Chef Juliette
Fresh Leg of Pork
Jambon frais rôti teaches the quiet discipline of the roast: fierce heat for bronze, gentle heat for an even center, then a proper rest before carving into juicy slices.
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Saucisses Anglaises
Created by Chef Juliette
Based on No. 1412, Saucisses Anglaises, from Le Guide Culinaire (1907) by Auguste Escoffier
Cambridge pork sausages teach the discipline of gentle pan heat: brown them slowly beside crisp bacon, finish with real butter, and keep their bold seasoning savory rather than scorched.
Main Dishes
French
Weeknight
Comfort Food
10 min
Active Time
30 min cook•40 min total
Yield4 servings
Saucisses Anglaises (English Cambridge sausages) teach one true thing: a well-seasoned sausage needs patient heat. Rush it and the spices scorch before the pork cooks; keep the pan gentle and the casing bronzes while the center stays juicy.
The classical entry assumes the links come ready from the charcutier and a professional kitchen can send them beside breakfast bacon or use them to garnish roast fowl. It calls for no saucier, no stockpot kept over the fire, and no salamander. The brigade's holding and garnish stations are scaffolding, so they go; the honest home equivalent is eight sausages, one heavy skillet, bacon fat for steady cooking, and real butter added only at the finish. The source supplies no sausage formula, so I haven't invented one. Choose a restrained Cambridge-style link and add no further seasoning.
Turn the sausages often and judge the color before the clock. If their casings darken while the centers remain undercooked, lower the heat and add a spoonful of water. Ça se rattrape. Controlled browning is the dish, and it must stay.
Saucisses Anglaises is the French classical name for English sausages, with Cambridge in eastern England singled out as their best-known home. They traveled into French service through the breakfast table, where they accompanied bacon, and through the garnish station, where small links were arranged beside roast fowl and young turkey. The name describes their English provenance rather than a French sauce or seasoning method, and the classical warning is unusually candid: some makers seasoned them far too aggressively.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
Cambridge-style pork sausages
Quantity
8 (about 1½ lb / 680 g total)
thick-cut bacon rashers
Quantity
8 (about 8 oz / 225 g total)
unsalted butter
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g)
water (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g)
for controlling the browning, if needed
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Cambridge-style pork sausages | 8 (about 1½ lb / 680 g total) |
| thick-cut bacon rashers | 8 (about 8 oz / 225 g total) |
| unsalted butter | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) |
| water (optional)for controlling the browning, if needed | 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) |
Equipment Needed
- •12-inch heavy skillet
- •Tongs
- •Instant-read thermometer
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the sausages
Take the sausages from the cold for 15 minutes, then dry their casings thoroughly. Leave them whole and never prick them; the casing holds the pork's juices while the interior cooks. Cambridge sausages may already carry assertive seasoning, so add neither salt nor pepper.
Choose links of similar thickness so they finish together. A restrained pork sausage is better here than one crowded with salt, pepper, and dried herbs. - 2
Render the bacon
Lay the bacon in a cold 12-inch skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, turning as needed, until the fat renders and the rashers are crisp at the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer them to a warm plate. Pour off the excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) and every savory brown trace in the skillet.
- 3
Brown without scorching
Set the sausages in the bacon fat with room between them and keep the heat at medium-low. Cook for 14 to 18 minutes, turning every 2 minutes so the casings color evenly rather than developing one burnt stripe. If they become dark before their centers are cooked, lower the heat, add the water, and cover for 2 minutes; then uncover and let the moisture evaporate. Ça se rattrape. If a casing splits, turn the opening upward and continue gently so the juices stay inside.
- 4
Finish with butter
When the sausages are evenly bronze and register 160°F (71°C) at the center, add the butter. Let it foam, then roll and baste the links for 1 to 2 minutes until their casings shine. Butter goes in now, not at the beginning, because its milk solids would burn during the long cooking. If the butter begins to blacken, pull the skillet off the heat and add a teaspoon of water before basting again.
- 5
Serve at once
Return the bacon to the skillet for 30 seconds, just long enough to warm it without softening. Arrange two sausages and two rashers on each warm plate, spooning over the browned butter from the pan. Serve immediately, while the casings are taut and the bacon still has its crisp edges. À table!
Chef Tips
- •Cambridge sausage is a style rather than a tightly regulated formula. Ask for a pork link with measured seasoning and a tender crumb; the source itself warns that excessive seasoning can overwhelm the meat.
- •Don't prick the casings. Escaping juices hit the skillet, burn with the seasoning, and leave the sausage dry. Patient turning cooks the center without sacrificing the surface.
- •For the classical roast-fowl garnish, allow one small sausage per diner, omit the bacon, and cook the links by the same gentle method while the bird rests. Arrange them around the carved poultry just before serving.
- •A cool dry cider suits the pork and bacon without fighting their seasoning. For breakfast, strong coffee and buttered bread need no defense.
Advance Preparation
- •The bacon can be rendered up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the cold. Reheat it in the skillet during the final 30 seconds of cooking.
- •Cook the sausages just before serving for the best casings. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep them for up to 3 days, and reheat gently in a covered skillet until they reach 165°F (74°C).
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 165g)
Calories
635 calories
Total Fat
50 g
Saturated Fat
19 g
Trans Fat
1 g
Unsaturated Fat
29 g
Cholesterol
140 mg
Sodium
1750 mg
Total Carbohydrates
12 g
Dietary Fiber
1 g
Sugars
2 g
Protein
34 g
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