Well, it certainly doesn’t look like braai weather here in KZN this weekend (heavy rain forecast, thank goodness, it’s very dry at the moment, as the spring rains have just not really arrived with any meaning). But it might be worth making a small fire to smoke some sausages, my new favourite way to cook sausages.
Smoked sausages are a delicious alternative to sausages cooked on the braai-grid, the result being perfect golden brown sausages with juicy centres and wonderful smoky flavour. And it is so much easier than one would think! Use a really good quality sausage (I like the Woolworths pork sausage range – these were the herbed sausages, and they were delicious).
To smoke sausages (or anything else) you’ll need a good hot fire, a large cast iron pot, a grid to fit into the base of the pot, and a pack of oak chips. If you’d like to try this, next time you’re shopping, look for a pack of oak wood chips, you’ll find wood chips for smoking food in any shop with a good braai section.
Line the pot base with some tin-foil for easy clean-up, cover the base with a layer of wood chips and add a tablespoon or two of water. Place the pot over the flames with the lid on, and heat until the chips start to smoke. Add the sausages, cover with the lid again and leave to smoke, about 15 to 20 minutes. Check them occasionally, and turn them over once. Once they are lovely and brown, remove from the pot, and serve.
Eat them with fire-baked potatoes, bread rolls baked on the grid next to the pot, or you could make a big salad platter for everyone to snack on, like this one:
While the sausages are smoking, make up the salad platter using whatever ingredients please you – on this platter, I used carrot, baby marrow and celery sticks, olives, gherkins, gouda and feta cheese cubes, sliced mushrooms, and some halved strawberries – baby tomatoes or tomato wedges and cucumber strips would also be great. Mix up a dipping sauce of equal parts mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt, with a little bit of curry powder and some salt and pepper to taste, or use your favourite flavour (guacamole, or hummous come to mind). Arrange the smoked sausages on the platter with the rest of the goodies and serve with some chilled white wine or a beer.
Enjoy!
Linda Roets
Fired Up Cooking SA 
I love sausages, any which way, I will have to get one of those big cast iron pots though, they are good for cooking on the wood stove in the house too so it would be a good investment ..
LikeLike
Cast iron pots and pans are an excellent investment, C, some of my pots are 30 years old! I have about 10 or 12 different pots and pans 🙂 It is also the healthiest cookware, and is tougher and more non-stick than any teflon-coated pan (you can see I’m a fan).
LikeLike
Fantastic! I had no idea that smoking sausages could be so simple. I’ll definately give it a try!
LikeLike
I was also amazed at how easy it is to smoke sausages, and they are really delicious, Tigger. Do try!!
LikeLike
This looks delicious! Your platter is so colourful and inviting…looking much better than my Herbalife shake right now… :))
LikeLike
Hello! Thank you for the comment 🙂
LikeLike
I love that you did these on the braai, I want to do fish next time in a similar way.
LikeLike
I was thinking how nice fish would be smoked – but I know so little about fish, I wouldn’t know what to try! Guess trout would work?
LikeLike
A fab summer meal, Fired Up. Have you ever tried smoking with rooibos tea leaves? It makes for a lovely flavour. Have a super weekend 🙂
LikeLike
That’s a great tip, Cindy, thanks! I’ll give that a try 🙂
LikeLike
They look soooo good and as for that platter…delicious!
LikeLike
Thank you, Chica 🙂
LikeLike
Ooh what a fun idea although we are not having the best weather either – I think only JHB has all the good weather.
Hopefully we can fit in a braai this weekend – will try your smoked sausages if we do.
🙂 Mandy
LikeLike
Hope you got to try smoking some sausages, Mandy, it is a lot of fun to do 🙂
LikeLike
Summer finally arrived in Cape Town!! The salad platter looks delicious!! Enjoy the weekend, Zabs
LikeLike
Thanks, Pink – hope your summer weather is holding. It’s freezing here now 🙂
LikeLike