Rougail Saucisse – Sausage Casserole Recipe

Name: Rougail Saucisse
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1 large onion (finely chopped); 1 heaped tablespoon butter; 2 garlic cloves (minced); ½ gram saffron; 1 hot red chilli pepper (seeds removed and finely chopped); 1 tin of chopped tomatoes; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 tablespoon mixed herbs; 6 good-quality sausages; Salt and pepper (to taste); 1 cup basmati rice (2 cups water); 1 tin red kidney beans (drained); 4 tablespoons tomato concentrate; 2 tomatoes (diced)

Food, Main Courses

Rougail saucisse is a hearty tomato and chili pepper-based dish that’s full of flavours. The traditional dish of Reunion island is a well-balanced, aromatic sausage casserole that’s usually served with rice and kidney beans.

My first Rougail Saucisse

The first time I had rougail saucisse was over 15 years ago as I was moving into my first flat near Paris. I fell in love with the dish straight away, with its rich tomato sauce that combined fragrant saffron and a nice kick from the chilli pepper.

Meat, rice, vegetables and pulses, cooked in a flavoursome sauce. What’s not to love? I had never tasted anything like it but I have since then travelled a fair bit. Rougail saucisse reminds me a bit of some of the stews I had in Rwanda (Africa).

The friend who cooked it for me served the sausage casserole with a strong Saint Émilion red wine. I didn’t like red wine then and had never fully appreciated how wine could enhance the flavours of a dish. It was a revelation! It made the rougail even better!

Rougail saucisse: the traditional dish in Reunion Island

Rougail is a traditional dish from Reunion Island and the recipe as I share it is the one I have been using for all these years. It might not be the exact same thing as what they serve in Saint-Denis, but it is my version of it and I absolutely love it. Rougail saucisse is rich in spices yet quite mild. To me, it’s the perfect meal to share with family and friends.

Rougail Saucisse - Ingredients for the Paste

Although Reunion Island is in the Indian Ocean, much closer to Madagascar than it is to Paris, it is an overseas department of France and it is part of the Eurozone.

“Located in the Mascarene Islands, Reunion Island is a French overseas department that offers travellers a complete change of scenery, transporting them to this tropical island in the Indian Ocean. A crossroads of African, Asian and European civilisation, Reunion Island is a true melting pot of cultures.” La Réunion website

Tips for picking your ingredients when making the sausage casserole

Rougail saucisse is gluten and wheat-free provided you use ‘free from’ sausages. You can also use dairy-free spread instead of butter to make the dish dairy-free. You can also substitute the traditional pork sausages for chicken ones.

If you were to make rougail saucisse in Reunion Island, you’d definitely use Creole sausages. To be fair, as long as you go for high-quality, lean sausages, you’ll get a great result. I always use chipolatas personally, or plain sausages.

Perfect rice & batch cooking

To get perfect rice every time, just follow my simple instructions below. When I use the word ‘cup’ in the recipe, I mean any mug you have at home. Just stick to the ratio of two cups of water to one of rice.

I always double the recipe as the sausage casserole itself freezes really well. On a lazy night, all you have to do is defrost your rougail saucisse, reheat in the oven with red kidney beans and cook rice to go with it.