Rougail Saucisse
Spicy Sausage Stew
Get ready to spice up your kitchen with Rougail Saucisse!
Tender and juicy sausages swim in a bold and fresh tomato sauce, infused with a blend of Réunion and Mauritian island spices. It sounds hot, yet Rougail Saucisse is a surprisingly refined and mild combination! We LOVE it!
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Tender and juicy sausages swim in a bold and fresh tomato sauce, infused with a blend of Réunion and Mauritian island spices. It sounds hot, yet Rougail Saucisse is a surprisingly refined and mild combination! We LOVE it!
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Why We Love It!
- Comfort Food: This is one of our family's favorite go-to dishes!
- Quick and easy: You make this scrumptious dish in just 30 minutes.
- Budget friendly: The ultimate comfort food with only a few inexpensive ingredients.
- Meal Planning: Rougail Saucisse is easy to make ahead. So, just double the recipe for more flexibility in your meal planning!
What is Rougail Saucisse?
Rougail Saucisse isn’t just a meal – it’s a Creole journey through time, packed with bold flavors and rich tradition.
Born in the French colonial islands of La Réunion and Mauritius, this dish carries the influence of the Spice Route, where African, Indian, Chinese, and French flavors came together. At its heart? Rougail is a vibrant, slow-cooked tomato stew, infused with garlic, ginger, thyme, and chilies – a true reflection of the islands’ melting pot of cultures.
Traditionally, it’s made with smoked pork, salt cod, or sausage, but the most beloved version is Rougail Saucisse – smoked sausage simmered in that punchy, spiced tomato sauce – pure comfort food with a kick. Since smoked sausage isn’t always easy to find, we flip the script and season regular sausage with Pimentón Ahumado (smoked paprika) for that deep, smoky flavor.
Rougail Saucisse is a fusion dish at its best – rich, hearty, and made to bring people together!
Ingredients
Rougail Saucisse
left to right top to bottom – check ‘Recipe’ below for adjustable quantity info
- Red or green Thai pepper, Bird’s eye chilli or Rawit: They are quite spicy but easy to adjust to taste.
- Smoked Paprika: We always use Pimenton Ahumado from La Chinata – it’s simply the best! 🌶️
- Turmeric: This golden-yellow spice gives the sauce its specific color.
- Sausage: This is the star of the dish! We opt for spiced farmer’s sausage and chicken merguez because they add excitement to the preparation and are easier to find.
- Pepper & Salt: We season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Tomato Paste: This thickens the sauce and also adds some extra fresh-tart depth.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger & Thyme: Fresh, fresh & fresh – tastes so much better!
- Cilantro: It adds a refreshing exotic accent.
- Oil: Mild olive oil works best.
- Tomatoes: Juicy and flavorful ripe tomatoes are the base for the sauce.
How to make Rougail Saucisse
Preheat
Firstly, start by heating a pan over medium heat.
Fry The Sausages
In the meantime, poke small holes in the sausages with a fork to prevent them from bursting during cooking. Then add a drizzle of olive oil to the preheated pan and fry the sausages until golden brown on all sides. Then reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let the sausages cook slowly for about 10 minutes, turning them occasionally. They don't need to be fully cooked, they just need to be firm enough to be easily cut into pieces. Then let them rest in the pan for a while.
Chop!
Next, peel and chop the onion, garlic cloves and ginger into coarse pieces. Traditionally this is mashed in a mortar, but we use a blender to chop it into a coarse puree. Strip the small thyme leaves from the sprigs and cut the chilli peppers very finely, leaving the seeds in.
Cut the sausages into pieces of 1"/ 2,5cm and set them aside for later. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly as they do not need to be peeled and cut them into small cubes.
Start Assembling...
Heat a deep frying pan or saucepan, preferably with a non-stick coating, over a hot fire. Pour in a dash of olive oil and fry the onion mixture and thyme leaves, while stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Then add the chopped sausage pieces and cook for a few more minutes.
... add the rest
Then add the tomato concentrate and stir. Now mix in the remaining ingredients; turmeric, smoked paprika powder, a pinch of black pepper and salt, chili peppers and the diced tomatoes. Bring everything to the boil for a moment and then reduce the heat. Place a lid on the pan and let it continue cooking for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
Taste!
Finally, season your Rougail Saucisse with salt and pepper to taste, and finish with fresh cilantro!
Serving Tips & Pairings
- Family Style: Rougail Saucisse is a great and cozy family meal to share. So gather around the table, place the pot in the centre and let everyone dig in.
- Rice: We serve it with turmeric-seasoned jasmine rice, not only for its delicate taste but also to soak up the flavorful sauce!
- Pasta: Toss it with pasta, it makes a great pasta sauce.
- French Fries: Enjoy it with Frietjes for the ultimate comfort food!
- Green Salad: Balance the richness of Rougail Saucisse with a fresh green salad dressed with a light vinaigrette.
- Drinks:
- The spicy kick of ginger beer enhances the bold flavors of Rougail Saucisse. Or pair it with Limonata… it’s super refreshing!
- Cold light lager beer or a Belgian-style wheat beer complements the spicy and savory flavors. Or serve it with a medium-bodied red wine to stand up to the spiciness of the dish. Cheers to a delightful pairing!
Substitutions & Variations
- Sausage: Swap farmers sausages or chicken merguez for any kind of your favorite sausages, whether you use pork or plant-based variations.
- Chilli: Use any other kind of semi-spicy peppers or even a few drops of Tabasco.
- Seafood Option: Swap sausages for shrimp, squid or fish filets for an equally delicious seafood variation!
- Vegetarian/Vegan variation: Use vegetarian sausages or grilled vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini and eggplant for a delicious and nutritious meal.
- Canned Tomatoes: Why not make your life easier in the kitchen by substituting fresh tomatoes for canned tomatoes. Really quick and easy – what’s not to love?
- Cilantro: If you don’t like cilantro? Sub it for parsley, mint or basil for an equally fresh touch.
FAQs
The way to pronounce in English is ‘roo-guy so-sees‘, with stress on ‘guy’ and ‘sees’.
No, it’s not really spicy. Add the chilli bit by bit at the end of the cooking process to control the heat. Alternatively, serve the chilli separately at the table.
Absolutely, it’s an ideal dish for meal prep. You can prepare it in advance for entertaining guests or for your busy week. It’s delicious when freshly made, but it actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld together. Just reheat it gently for a truly satisfying and effortless meal.
Creole not only refers to a blend of cultural practices, traditions, music, and dance but also includes cuisine that develops where different cultures meet and merge over time. Rougail Saucisse is considered Creole because it combines flavors and culinary techniques from Mauritius and La Réunion, the East and France.
Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can easily freeze it up to 2 months. When ready to use, thaw the frozen Rougail Saucisse in the refrigerator overnight. In fact it’s perfect for meal planning!
Recipe
Rougail Saucisse
Ingredients
- 4 pieces spiced farmer's sausage
- 2 pieces merguez sausage - chicken merguez
- 1 piece onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 30 g ginger
- 3 twigs thyme - fresh
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika powder - Pimenton Ahumado
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 2 pieces chilli peppers - thai rawit
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 pieces tomatoes - juicy, flavorful & ripe
- 1 bunch cilantro - fresh
Instructions
- Firstly, start by heating a pan over medium heat.
- In the meantime, poke small holes in the sausages with a fork to prevent them from bursting during cooking. Then add a drizzle of olive oil to the preheated pan and fry the sausages until golden brown on all sides. Then reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and let the sausages cook slowly for about 10 minutes, turning them occasionally. They don't need to be fully cooked, they just need to be firm enough to be easily cut into pieces. Then let them rest in the pan for a while.
- Next, peel and chop the onion, garlic cloves and ginger into coarse pieces. Traditionally this is mashed in a mortar, but we use a blender to chop it into a coarse puree. Strip the small thyme leaves from the sprigs and cut the chili peppers very finely, leaving the seeds in.Cut the sausages into pieces of 1"/ 2,5cm and set them aside for later. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly as they do not need to be peeled and cut them into small cubes.
- Heat a deep frying pan or saucepan, preferably with a non-stick coating, over a hot fire. Pour in a dash of olive oil and fry the onion mixture and thyme leaves, while stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Then add the chopped sausage pieces and cook for a few more minutes.
- Then add the tomato concentrate and stir. Now mix in the remaining ingredients; turmeric, smoked paprika powder, a pinch of black pepper and salt, chili peppers and the diced tomatoes. Bring everything to the boil for a moment and then reduce the heat. Place a lid on the pan and let it continue cooking for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Finally, taste your Rougail Saucisse with salt and pepper and finish off with cilantro!
Notes
- Red or green Thai pepper, Bird's eye chilli or Rawit: They are quite spicy but easy to adjust to taste.
- Smoked Paprika: We always use Pimenton Ahumado from La Chinata - it's simply the best! 🌶️
- Turmeric: This golden-yellow spice gives the sauce its specific color.
- Sausage: This is the star of the dish! We opt for spiced farmer's sausage and chicken merguez because they add excitement to the preparation and are easier to find.
- Pepper & Salt: We season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Tomato Paste: This thickens the sauce and adds extra fresh-tart depth.
- Onion, Garlic, Ginger & Thyme: Fresh, fresh & fresh - tastes so much better!
- Cilantro: It adds a refreshing exotic accent.
- Oil: Mild olive oil works best.
- Tomatoes: Juicy and flavorful ripe tomatoes are the base for the sauce.
Nutrition
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