Hot Toulouse Sausages With a Tomato, Caper and Shallot Salad

Seriously meaty, these delectable sausages go down a treat with Rick Stein's refreshingly light salad.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  Toulouse sausages
•  flaked sea salt
•  fresh ground black pepper

• For the salad

• 4  vine-ripened beef tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 3  shallots, halved and thinly sliced
• 2  tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
• 2  tablespoons flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

• For the mustard and garlic dressing

• 1  tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1  tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1  fat garlic clove, crushed
• 6  tablespoons  sunflower oil

Directions

1. For the dressing, whisk the mustard, vinegar and garlic together in a small bowl, then very gradually whisk in the oil to make a thick, emulsified dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set to one side.
2. Grill or fry the sausages for 8 minutes, turning them over now and then, until nicely browned all over.
3. Meanwhile, overlap the tomato slices on a large, oval platter and sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes and ground black pepper. Scatter over the shallots and the capers.
4. Lift the sausages onto a board and slice each one on the diagonal into 4 pieces. Whisk 2 tablespoons of warm water into the dressing to loosen it a little, then drizzle over the salad.
5. Arrange the sausages randomly over the top of the tomatoes, sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve while the sausages are still hot.