Preheat oven to gas 6 / 200C / 400°F
Put a good splash of oil and a knob of butter into a saucepan and heat on medium. Squash the garlic and when the butter melts add it to the pan with the thyme leaves
When the pan starts to sizzle add all of the onions with a pinch of salt and stir around to coat in the flavoured oil
Turn heat to low and put a lid on the pan. Leave them to cook for 15 minutes, stir occasionally
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pan of salted cold water and let come to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer
Also put a small roasting tin on the stove top.
Add a splash of oil then put the sausages in. Brown them on all sides
Remove the sausages and put the onions in an even layer on the bottom of the tin, then put the sausages back on top
Put in the oven for 25 minutes and when your potatoes are done, start the mash
Drain the potatoes and add into the pan the other knob of butter, milk, cream, mustard and season to taste. You may like more mustard. I make this quite mild so the kids won't say it's yucky lol
When the sausages and onions are done remove the sausages from the roasting tin but keep them warm in a low oven while you make the gravy
Put the roasting tin with the onions in back on the stove top. Pour off any excess fat. Add the flour to the onions and stir in
Add the stock then over a high heat let the gravy thicken. Scrape the good sticky bits from the bottom of the tin in, these hold all the flavour. Reduce down until you have a nice thick gravy
Serve with the sausages on top of a layer of mash with the gravy poured over and seasonal veg
