Cooking Goan sausages

 

5. Cooked Goan pork sausages

4. Adding potatoes

2. Sausage meat and skin

1. Goan pork sausages

3. Washing the skin.

-Brian Mendonca
As told by Queenie Mendonca

Making Goan sausages has always been a source of great joy for me. When my last attempt was a bit sad, I was determined to hone my cooking skills and asked the advice of my better half Queenie, who is a pro in these matters.

I usually pick up my sausages from Espy at the old Margao bus stand. It takes patience to take out the cord which ties the pods of sausages. I do it with the tip of the knife and feel a great sense of accomplishment when I unravel it without cutting the string like amateurs do. (Pic. 1)

Now one is ready to slit the sausage skin and take out the meat. (Pic. 2) I washed the skin separately in a vessel. (Pic. 3) This vessel was selected by Queenie as being the one kept aside for cooking the sausage since the vinegar stains the bottom.

The first thing Queenie said was, 'Don't put too much water in the cooker. It makes the sausage lose its taste.' So after deskinning the sausages I chucked them into the cooker with just enough water to not cover it. 

Instead of putting everything in the cooker in one go, I boiled the sausages first. After one whistle I put the sausages on sim and let them cook some more. In the meantime I diced the potatoes. 

Then I added the potatoes and turned up the flame once more. (Pic. 4) After the first whistle I let it simmer again. While this was happening, I sauteed some onions with a few garlic pods and ginger garlic paste. 

Lastly I tipped the contents of the cooked sausages and potatoes into the vessel and gently stirred it. (Pic. 5) It made a great breakfast with eggs and fresh Goan paos which the baker deposited at my door at 7. 

I took out the sausages from the fridge at 6.30 a.m. and was done cooking them by 7.45.

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All pix by Brian Mendonca at home in Porvorim, Goa.