2 pounds pork sausage links
Bacon fat or oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, whole
4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 bouquet garni*
Black pepper
Hard cider (apple wine) or apple cider
Chopped parsley for garnish
Lightly fry bacon until crisp. Place in large cooking pot. Brown sausage in some bacon grease or vegetable oil. Remove and add to pot. Soften sliced onions and whole garlic cloves in fat, then add to pot with potatoes and carrots. Bury the bouquet garni in the middle of the mixture. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover with cider. Simmer 1-1/2 hours over medium-low heat; do not boil. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Makes 6 servings.
Bouquet Garni:
A small bunch of assorted herbs -- the mixture is up to you, but it can include such delectables as parsley, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage, tarragon, oregano, cloves and peppercorns-- tied into a bundle with cheesecloth. The purpose of this is to flavor a dish, especially soups and broths, without having bits of herb floating in the finished product.