Firm mettwurst sausage

It is a firm German-style sausage, typically made from seasoned pork and cured or smoked. Unlike spreadable mettwurst, you slice it rather than spreading it on bread.

If it is sold as a ready-to-eat cured sausage, you can eat it sliced straight from the pack. Cooking is optional; follow the packaging if it says the sausage needs cooking.

Keep it wrapped or in a sealed container in the fridge, and use it within the time stated on the packaging. If it is a whole sausage with an intact casing, keep the cut end covered so it does not dry out.

Slice it and add it near the end of cooking to pea soup, lentil stew or a pan of potatoes and onions; it is already cured, so prolonged cooking can make it dry and salty. For a crisp edge, fry the slices briefly in a hot pan.

Serve thin slices with rye bread, mustard and pickles, or add them to a cold platter with cheese and crisp vegetables. Its savoury, smoky flavour also works well with cabbage and potatoes.

For a similar firm, cured sausage, use salami or another dry sausage, allowing for differences in seasoning and smokiness. For a milder result in soup or stew, use smoked sausage and add it near the end.

Firm air-dried mettwurst has 218 kcal and 12.5 g fat per 100 g, compared with 349 kcal and 29 g fat in firm mettwurst. It also has slightly more protein: 26.5 g versus 23 g per 100 g.