There are plenty of uses for a rich, yeasty lager, or hopsy ale in the kitchen. Here's a recipe you have to try:

Ingredients

4 red onions, top layers cut into 4 shallow sections 50g butter 30g fresh thyme 30g brown sugar 2T balsamic vinegar 2T olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 good-quality pork sausages 340ml can beer

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Stuff the onions with butter, thyme and sugar, and place in a baking tray. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and 1T of the olive oil, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 30–40 minutes until soft and sweet. Poke small holes in the pork sausages using a fork and place them in a small pot with enough beer to just cover them. Bring to a simmer and gently poach for 25 minutes. Remove the sausages from the beer and add to the same baking tray as the onions to brown, tossed in the remaining olive oil for the last 5–10 minutes of the onions’ cooking time. Serve hot out of the oven with potato bake or creamy mashed potatoes. SERVES 4 Recipes and styling Hannah Lewry Photographs Russell Smith This recipe originally appeared in HL July 2014   READ MORE: Ultimate chicken cider pie Veg tikka masala curry Rosewater panna cotta