THE PROBLEM Sausages curl when fried. This makes it difficult to hold them in position in order that heat may be applied to all four “sides” to ensure even cooking.
THE SOLUTION A stainless-steel fork with six 3 mm thick tines; the tines are inserted longitudinally along the sausages. Because the sausage sides remain parallel the sausages may be rotated in three 90 deg. phases, holding their lengthwise shape throughout.
CONCLUSION The prototype works in principle; its application reveals an unexpected benefit; a modified prototype will improve the operation.
OBSERVATIONS (1) No extra perforation of the sausage skin (leading to flavour leaks) is necessary. The skin of a link sausage already has two holes at either end.
(2) Two wooden spoons or spatulas effect the rotation; one to turn the sausage, the other to hold its neighbour stationary.
(3) Fork width was based on the diameter of the frying pan; the five tine gaps were based on a 30 mm theoretical width of a cooked sausage. The latter dimension proved too conservative. Increasing it to 36 mm will allow freer sausage rotation.
(4) Inserting a metal tine along a sausage aids evenness of cooking.
(5) There’s an aesthetic, as well as a gustatory, pleasure to eating an evenly fried sausage.
THE SOLUTION A stainless-steel fork with six 3 mm thick tines; the tines are inserted longitudinally along the sausages. Because the sausage sides remain parallel the sausages may be rotated in three 90 deg. phases, holding their lengthwise shape throughout.
CONCLUSION The prototype works in principle; its application reveals an unexpected benefit; a modified prototype will improve the operation.
OBSERVATIONS (1) No extra perforation of the sausage skin (leading to flavour leaks) is necessary. The skin of a link sausage already has two holes at either end.
(2) Two wooden spoons or spatulas effect the rotation; one to turn the sausage, the other to hold its neighbour stationary.
(3) Fork width was based on the diameter of the frying pan; the five tine gaps were based on a 30 mm theoretical width of a cooked sausage. The latter dimension proved too conservative. Increasing it to 36 mm will allow freer sausage rotation.
(4) Inserting a metal tine along a sausage aids evenness of cooking.
(5) There’s an aesthetic, as well as a gustatory, pleasure to eating an evenly fried sausage.
9 comments:
Sounds perfect! I'd try it out, only we don't care for fried sausages. We occasionally like some good frankfurters (steamed so no problems there) over sauerkraut with hot mustard, for dinner not breakfast.
Fantastic! I want one of those.
:D
Finally - the retirement brings a real reward! Assume this will be on the menu next Saturday..
You can't quarrel with straight sausages any more than with straight bananas. How were sausages in the old days? I seem to remember them straight but did they have the advantage of the technolgy you describe, or were they built differently?
Even frying is even more desirable than straight, and certainly difficult to achieve without assistance such as you describe.
M-L: I doubt you'd want to eat a steamed British sausage. They must be grilled, baked or - most often - fried. In all cases it's desirable to apply comparatively high, direct heat all round the cross-sectional circumference (Sorry about that - that's why I used quotes round the word sides. Being tubular a sausage has an infinite number of them.)
The Crow: Ah, but this is only the prototype. Wait for my report on the improved development model.
OS: Next Saturday? Unlikely. We'd need two forks.
Plutarch: Modern sausages (Hereford has several wonderful sources) start out floppy and nominally straight. Heat curls them. Irritated by this I passed my precision engineering drawings to Downey Engineering Ltd, Pontrilas, and they executed the prototype for £20. My drawings for SausageFork Mk 2 will shortly be despatched. I am not seeking to patent this device. The whole sausage-loving world is free to have their own forks made up. I will even provide the drawing by PDF email attachment.
I'd like one too. I am currently rather taken with bratwurst, of which I am able to purchase a satisfactory variety at our old frined Lidl, though my German friend turns her nose up at this idea as 'not *good* German food'.
These start off curved and get curveder, and are quite long and narrow. Perhaps a specialised bratwurst model would be in order?
Super idea, and I'm looking forward to the next version too. (Currently imagining what it might look like - a rotary handle addition by any chance?)
Lucy: Perhaps there's a special form of ESP among bloggers - we've been doing bratwurst intensively over the past year. Our bratwurst tends to be fatter than Brit sausages, but Fork Mk 2 may well accommodate this. If it does I'll send you a spec'd drawing and you can take it round to the maréchal-ferrant and have him make it up. Chance to brush up your vocab: inox, la soudure, etc
Julia: Mrs BB suggested a handle but this would be a refinement. I've got to perfect the frying function first.
Great stuff, BB. I shall definitely be in the market for one to go with my delicious local bangers (see last posting)
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