RECIPE

Mock Goose

Yield – four good portions

450g/1lb good quality pork sausage meat

75g small packet sage and onion stuffing mix

500g mash potatoes

1 onion, sliced

1 dessert apple, grated

Salt and black pepper to season

Knob of butter

Dash of cold milk

Good handful of grated Cheddar cheese

Apple sauce and green vegetables to serve

Method for perfect mash potato

1. To make nice fluffy potatoes, start with good quality potatoes like Maris Piper or King Edward.

2. You can peel and cut them up if you want to, but the skins have lots of flavours and will break down during boiling, so you won't have chunks of skin in the finished product.

3. Start them off whole in cold, unsalted water and bring to the boil - cook until tender.

4. Strain them and leave to steam for a couple of minutes.

5. Mash by hand with a fork or electric hand mixer until fluffy.

6. Add a large knob of butter, season well with salt and black pepper and a dash of cold milk, add more if you want too until you have the correct consistency you want.

7. Leave to cool in the pan before using.

Method for Mock Goose

1. Spread the sausage meat out over the base of a square gratin dish or similar.

2. Make up the sage and onion stuffing mix, spread over the sausage meat, adding the fried onions and grated apple.

3. Top with the seasoned cold mash potatoes, forking the top so it crisps and browns.

4. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the potatoes.

5. Cook at 180C/Gas 5 for around one hour.

6. Serve at once with some nice green vegetables.

Baker Mike's top tips

* Double cream can be substituted instead of milk when making the mash if you are feeling wicked.

* Try adding a big spoonful of sour cream instead of the butter to the mash.

* Make small portions and freeze one for another week.

* Eight skinned, butchers sausages will weigh around 500g.

* Prepare the dish in the morning to serve piping hot at teatime after work.