• Temp: -1 C, mostly clear,

"His creative, imaginative cuisine has its roots in logic commonsense, craft skills of the highest order, and a focus on raw materials of the finest qualities...."

Beer battered cocktail sausages with mustard mayonnaise

A great little appetiser or snack.

I love the combination of succulent sausage in a crisp batter dipped in the creamy mustard flavoured mayonnaise. The secret is of course, the batter: mixing it quickly and using it immediately. For presentation purposes I drilled holes into a cheap chopping board I picked up, deep enough to be able to stick dessert forks into, but this of course, is an optional extra!

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C/350F, until a small piece of white bread turns golden brown in about 30 seconds; or use a deep-sided pan and ensure that it is only half way full.

To make the beer batter, sift the flour and cornflour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the lager and mustard. Whisk the liquid ingredients together and then gradually whisk into the flour mixture until you have achieved a smooth batter. Season to taste.

Dust the cocktail sausages in a light coating of flour and then dredge in the batter, shaking off any excess. Deep-fry for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your fryer.

Meanwhile, make the mustard mayonnaise, place the mayonnaise in a bowl with the mustard and lime juice. Season to taste and mix until well combined.

Drain the beer battered cocktail sausages well on kitchen paper and stick on to forks or cocktail sticks. Arrange on serving plates with small bowls of the mustard mayonnaise on the side for dipping.