Sausage suprise

Whats the suprise? it's healthy! Second in my 'March isn't to late for comfort food recipes' is a hearty, basic and totally unassuming sausage casserole. Basic to the point that whilst cooking it I wondered if it would taste of anything. I got the recipe from Hugh F W so it must be ok, I kept thinking. It was!  A bowl of tasty sausage that remarkably, seemed very healthy. Resembling more so a root vegetable stew than the more gravy ish casseroles found in your friendly neighbourhood ready meal isle.

- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- 6 pork sausages (best you can get) or 4 sausages and 4 pork chops
- 1 glass of dry cider or white wine
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 leeks, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/4 to 1/2 celeriac cut into chunky cubes
- 2 medium floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky cubes (King Edward, Maris Piper or Desiree
- 1 large parsnip, cut into chunky cubes
- 1 bouquet garni ( a bay leaf, 2 sprigs of thyme and some parsley stalks tied together either with cooking string or if your very clever and rather careful use a parsley stalk)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add 1 tbsp of oil to a casserole or large saucepan and brown the sausages (and/or chops) and brown them well over a medium heat, in batches if necessary. Transfer them to a dish.
Pour the cider or wine into the  casserole and deglaze, scraping to release any little bits of caramelised meat from the base of the pan. Pour the pan juices into the dish with the sausages.
Heat the rest of the oil in the casserole and add the onions, leek and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes or so until softened. Then return the sausages (and/or chops) to the casserole with their juices and add the celeriac, potatoes and parsnips.
Tuck in the bouquet garni, season with salt and pepper and add enough water to almost cover everything. Bring to a very gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, or partially covered, very gentley over a low heat (or with a lid on in the oven pre heated to 140 c/ gas mark 1) for about an hour until everything is tender.
Take out the bouquet garni and check the seasoning. The potatoes should be starting to break down  and thicken the liquor a little. If not just mash some of the vegetables against the side of the dish with a fork. Scatter over the parsley and serve.