🔥 Sausage Rougaille: The Real Recipe

Updated: July 28, 2025 • Twenty-minute reading (closet, nutrition, quiz, rating).

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Why cook a sausage rougail?

A symbol of Réunion cuisine, sausage rougail combines the warmth of spices with the smoky flavors of barbecued sausages. Prepared at home, it becomes a comforting dish ready to warm up winter tables and summer evenings alike. The tomato sauce, seasoned with ginger and chili, creates a harmony that transports you to tropical latitudes. From a cultural point of view, each Réunion family has its own secret dosage: some add more ginger, others swear by a green bird's eye chili. Nutritionists point out that tomatoes provide antioxidant lycopene, which is particularly available after slow cooking. In addition, cooking your sausages in the sauce limits the formation of undesirable compounds often associated with direct grilling. In short, sausage rougail combines taste pleasure and health benefits, especially if you accompany the dish with fiber-rich brown rice.

Creole ingredients and flavors

Base for four generous bowls—all products are available in Neary's department. The round French tomato guarantees a concentrated burst of sunshine, while a good fresh chili brings fire without masking the aromas. Purists use Creole smoked sausages, but Montbéliard sausages work perfectly. Don't forget the rice, which is almost essential for savoring the fragrant sauce; you can even cook everything in an air fryer if you want to save time by browning the sausages before dipping them in the rougail.

Quick substitutions : ginger → fresh turmeric; chili → sweet long pepper; thyme → grated kaffir lime for a subtle lemony kick. Plant-based version? Swap the sausages for smoked tofu and add a pinch of paprika.

Smart Closet Mode

Calories and nutrition profile

Step by step preparation

1. Mark the sausages : prick them lightly then brown them over medium heat in a frying pan without fat to remove excess fat.
   
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2. Prepare the aromatic base : mince the onions, garlic, and ginger. Boil the tomatoes for 30 seconds, then peel and dice them.
3. Start the rougail : In a saucepan, heat the oil, sweat the onions, add the garlic, ginger, thyme, and split chili pepper. Add the tomatoes, add a little salt, cover, and let simmer to obtain a nice sauce.
   
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4. Finish cooking : add the sausages cut into pieces, cook over low heat until completely soaked and the sauce thickens.
   
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5. Enjoy : Serve piping hot with fragrant basmati rice and a few slices of crunchy cucumber.

Tasty variations

Punchy Pineapple : Add two diced pineapple rings for a sweet and tangy contrast; the fruit caramelizes slightly in the sauce.
Lentil Rougail : Replace half the sausages with a ladleful of cooked lentils for a lighter, fiber-rich dish.
Express coconut curry : add two spoonfuls of coconut milk at the end of cooking and sprinkle with a hint of mild curry for an Indo-Reunion touch.

Conservation and batch cooking

Rougail improves when left to rest: store it in the refrigerator for up to three days in an airtight container. To save time, prepare a double batch and freeze half; the sauce freezes very well. Batch cooking tip: cook the rice separately, dry it, then quickly sauté it in a pan just before serving; it will regain its softness.

Quick service ideas

• Serve it in a warm tortilla wrap Creole style for a lunch on the go.
• Turn leftovers into a topping for a fusion pizza ; spread the sauce and scatter the sausage pieces on top before baking.
• Serve it in verrines as an aperitif, sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander.
• Pair it with a chilled planter's punch – in moderation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anti-failure tips

• Blanch the sausages for two minutes before browning them to remove excess salt.
• Finely chop the onions: they melt and thicken the sauce naturally.
• Lightly caramelize the tomato before adding the water; this is the key to a rougail with a deep flavor.
• Add the chili at the end of cooking if you are worried about it being too spicy; you can adjust the heat more easily.

Smart budgeting and resources

By choosing sausages sold in batches and seasonal tomatoes, the price of a portion drops to around two euros, including rice. For even more Creole ideas, browse our dedicated cookbooks . Finally, if you want to know the history of rougail, consult this encyclopedic page which traces its Malagasy origins.

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