How to Make Scottish Lorne Sausages

Lorne sausages are a very unusual type of sausage, unique to Scotland and parts of the North of England. They are not only skinless but they are served as slices from what is a large block of sausage meat. Lorne sausages are for this reason very often known simply as sliced sausages and the slices can be either square or round in shape. Lorne sausages can either be made from minced/ground beef or pork but most often, they are produced from a combination of the two.

Pictured to the right are a couple of Lorne sausages, as purchased from a Scottish butcher's shop/supermarket. As we will see, homemade Lorne sausages will have a very different appearance, as is often the case between mass produced food and attempts to emulate same at home.

Sausages of all types of course have a bit of a bad reputation for the amount of fat and the quality of the ingredients which are often included in them. The Lorne sausages which I will proceed to make are made from the finest quality ingredients.

The ingredients of the Lorne sausages which I make could not be simpler. They are as follows:

1lb minced/ground pork

1/2lb minced/ground beef

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp ground nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

The ingredients to prepare the Lorne sausages should all be added to a large mixing bowl or basin. Although an attempt can be made to mix them with a spoon, there truly is no proper substitute for conducting this process by hand. This is because it is important to not only mix the ingredients together but to actually squeeze them together, so as that the meat becomes as compacted as possible. It is only in this way that the Lorne sausages will be able to be sliced and cooked effectively. This process should not be hurried and a few minutes should be taken to ensure that the ingredients form what is almost a dough like consistency before they are transferred to the loaf tin.

When the Lorne sausage ingredients are mixed, a deep loaf tin should be lined with clingfilm and the ingredients packed in to it. Time should be taken to press them down as much as possible. The clingfilm should then be folded over the top and the tin put in to the deep freeze for around an hour, just until the mixture starts to freeze.

Slicing the sausage block at this stage will prove easiest but there is no requirement to cook the sliced sausage immediately. It can very effectively be kept in the refrigerator for a day or two in an appropriate, sealed container.

Lorne sausages can be cooked in a variety of ways but in Scotland are most commonly shallow fried or grilled under an overhead kitchen grill. The length of cooking time will vary depending upon the thickness of the slice but a half inch thick Lorne sausage will take approximately three minutes each side on a moderate heat in a frying-pan or under a hot grill.

The two most common ways in which Lorne sausages are served are either as part of a full Scottish breakfast or on a bread roll. Where they are served on a roll, they are often accompanied by such as a fried egg, fried onions or a tattie scone.

The slideshow to the right shows all of these ways in which Lorne sausages are served and note that either HP Sauce or Tomato Ketchup may well also be added.

There is a lot more to the food and cuisine of Scotland than haggis and shortbread! Fresh fish and seafood historically forms a huge part of the Scottish diet, as do meats such as beef, mutton and lamb and root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and turnips. The book featured to the right explores the food culture of Scotland and incorporates many lesser known dishes which have been prepared in Scotland down through the years.