Did you know that Britons ate their way through 1000 miles of chipolatas on Christmas weekend 2009? Laid end to end the sausages would reach to outer space.

2009 saw sales of chipolatas increase by 10%. The industry is worth £600 million. They are consumed on average at a rate of 12 thousand a day.

>A chipolata is a type of fresh sausage, believed to have been created in France and similar to an Italian sausage but usually prepared as a very thin, breakfast sausage-style link, often grilled rather than pan-fried or poached.

Chipolatas are normally made from coarse-ground pork seasoned with salt and pepper together with different herbs — according to the particular recipe.

The word is French and is believed to derive from the Italian cipollata, which essentially means “made with onions”. Records dating back almost 400 years make note of an Italian onion stew called cipollata, which may have at least occasionally included the addition of pork sausages. The term cipollata is more closely connected to the Italian word for onion, cipolla than it is to a word for sausage.

Chipolatas are also eaten a great deal in the United Kingdom. They frequently appear as part of a Christmas dinner wrapped in streaky bacon as pigs in blankets. They are commonly eaten and referred to in Scotland as ‘Kilted Pigs’.

Chipolatas are also to a type of breakfast sausage found in Australia, and are known to U.S. residents as Italian Sausage. They are not to be confused with cocktail sausages, often served at buffets, which are much smaller, thinner and around half the length of typical chipolatas.

Honey Glazed Chipolatas with Grain Mustard

Ingredients:

8 Chipolata sausages

2 Tbsp Honey

4 – 5 Large dashes Worcester sauce

70g 50:50 Dijon Mustard:Coarse grain mustard mix

1 Tbsp oil

Method:

1. Add the oil to pre heated frying pan, add the chipolatas.

2. Turn in pan so they take on some colour.

3. Finish of in a medium – hot oven (200 F – 220 F) for 5 – 7 minutes.

4. Add the Worcester sauce to the pan, toss chipolatas briskly for 30 seconds or so, and then add the honey straight away to glaze the chipolatas.

5. Serve immediately with grain mustard.

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