Celebrate the luxuriously sticky-sweetness of dates in this effortless, family-friendly sausage traybake flavoured with warm spices and maple syrup
Ingredients
400g baby potatoes, halved or quartered if large
200g brussels sprouts, halved
1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
150g Medjool dates, pitted and torn in half
8 good-quality sausages
5g oregano
3 thyme sprigs
65ml olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 garlic cloves, grated
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
10g parsley, roughly chopped
Step by step
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line a large roasting tray with baking paper for easy clean-up. Fill the tray with the potatoes, sprouts, onion and dates. Nestle the sausages on top, then sprinkle over the oregano and thyme.
Mix the oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, garlic, cinnamon, nigella seeds and cumin in a small jug. Season well with salt and pepper. Pour this over the sausages and vegetables, massaging it all with your hands to coat well.
Cover with foil and roast for 30 mins. Remove the foil and toss the tray to shuffle everything around, then increase the heat to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cook for another 25-30 mins, or until sticky, golden and charred at the edges.
Top with a sprinkling of parsley and serve straight from the tray for everyone to help themselves.
