Valentine’s Day is usually a predictable affair. A steak. A roast chicken. Maybe a slightly stressed risotto and a pan that’s seen better days. But this year, we suggest you swerve the clichés and put your faith in something far more reliable: very good sausages.
Not just any sausages, mind you - this is the Turner & George x SOSIJ Valentine’s pack. A duo of luxury bangers with serious pedigree and absolutely no interest in playing it safe.
In one corner: The Sainted Hen - chicken, tarragon and confit leek, enriched with double cream and generally behaving like it was trained in a French monastery before going rogue.
In the other: The Ibérico Lover - Ibérico pork with mojo verde and Espelette pepper - bold, spicy, herbal and just the right side of dangerous.
Two sausages. Two personalities. One very good excuse to cancel your restaurant booking.
We went back to SOSIJ supremo and flavour instigator Alasdair Clark for serving suggestions, he steered us toward one big, generous, share-it-all approach. Because if love is about anything, it’s about putting great food in the middle of the table and getting stuck in together.
Before we get into that, let’s talk about cooking.
How to Cook Them (Properly, Calmly, With a Drink in Hand)
These are luxury sausages. They are not in a hurry and neither should you be.
Set your oven to 160°C and cook them for 30–40 minutes on a tray. Turn once halfway if you like. No frantic pan-frying. No stabbing. No drama. Let them gently bronze and relax into their best selves while you get on with the important business of opening a bottle and pretending you meant to light that candle.
Now - how to serve them.
The Valentine’s Sharing Board (The Smart Move)
Because February 14th is not the night for juggling six pans and a sauce reduction, we went with the sharing board approach. Maximum flavour, minimum faff, highly snackable.
Think bold, tapas-style sides and plenty of contrast.
Start with patatas bravas with paprika aioli. Roast small cubes of potato until properly crisp - no pale edges - and serve with a paprika-spiked aioli for dipping. You can pick up a jar of shop bought stuff by the way and we won’t judge because the Ibérico sausage, with its mojo verde profile, absolutely sings with this.
Add blistered Padron peppers, tossed in olive oil and flaky salt. Quick, punchy, and ideal for alternating bites between creamy chicken and spicy pork.
And then - the slaw. Sharp, crunchy, vinegary slaw is the secret weapon here. It keeps everything in balance and stops things getting too heavy too quickly.
Apple, Fennel & Herb Vinegar Slaw (For Two, and Very Much Worth It)
This is a lighter, sharper take on the legendary Richard H. Turner vinegar slaw (from HOG) - adapted for two people and tweaked with apple to flatter both sausages. It’s bright, fresh and cuts through pork fat like good gossip cuts through a dinner party.
Use it on the board, in buns the next day, or straight from the bowl while “checking”.
Ingredients - serves 2
Half a teaspoon fennel seeds
100g white cabbage, very finely sliced
50g red cabbage, very finely sliced
50g fennel bulb, very finely sliced
Half a small red onion, very finely sliced
1 crisp Pink Lady apple, cut into fine matchsticks
Small handful mixed fresh herbs (parsley, coriander and mint), finely chopped
Half a teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
Half a teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
25ml cider vinegar
25ml white wine vinegar
18ml extra virgin olive oil
18g caster sugar
Juice and zest of half an unwaxed lemon
Method
Whisk all the dressing ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved. Be decisive about it. Set aside.
Toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan until lightly golden and fragrant, then tip out to cool.
Slice the cabbage, fennel and onion as thinly as you can - thinner equals better eating. Add the apple and herbs, then toss everything together with the salt, pepper and fennel seeds.
About 20 minutes before serving, whisk the dressing again and pour over the slaw. Toss thoroughly and taste for balance. It should be punchy, bright and extremely moreish.
Final Thoughts (And Sensible Advice)
If you’re going to cook for someone on Valentine’s Day, make it something you actually want to eat. These sausages do most of the heavy lifting - you just need to give them a good supporting cast and a bit of gentle heat.
Take it slow. Don’t rush. Don’t poke. Don’t panic. (Said the actress to the bishop)
Leave a comment