Hot Toulouse Sausages with a Tomato, Caper and Shallot Salad

by Rick Stein
from Rick Stein's French Odyssey

Seriously meaty, these delectable sausages go down a treat with Rick Stein's refreshingly light salad

Servings: 4
Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients
4 Toulouse sausages
Salt
sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper

For the tomato, caper and shallot salad
4 vine-ripened beef Tomatoes, or large tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 Shallots, halved and thinly sliced
2 tbsp nonpareilles capers, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp flat-leafed parsley, roughly chopped

For the mustard and garlic dressing
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 fat garlic clove, crushed
6 tbsp sunflower oil

Method
1. For the dressing , whisk the mustard, vinegar and garlic together in a small bowl, then very gradually whisk in the oil to make a thick, emulsified dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set to one side.

2. Grill or fry the sausages for 8 minutes, turning them over now and then, until nicely browned all over.

3. Meanwhile, overlap the tomato slices on a large, oval platter and sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes and ground black pepper. Scatter over the shallots and the capers.

4. Lift the sausages onto a board and slice each one on the diagonal into 4 pieces. Whisk 2 tablespoons of warm water into the dressing to loosen it a little, then drizzle over the salad.

5. Arrange the sausages randomly over the top of the tomatoes, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve while the sausages are still hot.