Nothing is better than sizzling sausages to put on your mash or as part of a fry up, but it can be really disappointing if they are dried out, or too chewy. A big mistake people make is cooking sausages on a high heat as it can cause the outside skin to cook too quickly.

This means the sausages will burn before you even notice, leading to an unfavourable taste and causing the casing to split. If you want your sausages perfectly crispy and full of flavour, then cook Jules Clancy, founder of The Stone Soup, recommends taking an extra 10 minutes to poach them first.

Jules said: “I was convinced last year by my Irishman that the best way to cook sausages if you’re serving them whole is to gently poach them to cook them through before browning them in a pan or on the BBQ. Well worth the effort for tender, juicy bangers and mash.”

Poaching is the simple cooking technique of letting sausages simmer in a little water before cooking them properly.

It ensures the inside of the sausages cooks all the way through and helps them retain moisture as they heat up.

This results in sausages that are much juicier and even more flavourful so your banger and mash or tasty fry up if more enjoyable to eat.

How to poach sausages to make them tastier

Poaching sausages is very simple and should only take a few minutes. Place the sausages in a pot and add just enough cold water to cover them.

If you prefer, some people like to add stock, seasoning, onions or garlic to the pot while poaching sausages to help make them even more flavourful. However, this is entirely optional.

Place on a medium heat and allow the sausages to cook for a few minutes until the water begins to simmer, then turn off the heat. Do not let the water boil as it can cause the sausages skin to split.

Let the sausages sit and soak up the steam until the water is room temperature, which should take a few minutes.

Then, cook the sausages like you normally by putting them in the oven or heating up a frying pan. This helps give them colour and make them crispy.

Your sausages should be plump, juicy and incredibly tasty if you take 10 minutes maximum to try out this easy cooking method.