Preheat the oven to 180° C / gas mark 4

Prepare the apples by removing the cores and cutting into eight.

Prepare the onions by peeling and chopping into large chunks.

In a large casserole dish heat half of the olive oil over a medium heat.

Add the sausages and cook for 6 - 8 minutes turning every few minutes till they brown. At this point you are not cooking the sausages through, just browning them.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the browned sausages from the pan and place them aside.

Add the remaining olive oil and the chopped onion to the casserole dish and fry for 6 - 8 minutes until they start to soften and brown.

Add the apple chunks and cook for 2 - 3 minutes until they start to colour,

Add the minced garlic and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring to make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the cider & stir, making sure that nothing is stuck to the bottom of the dish/.

Add the sausages back into the casserole dish and season with a little salt and pepper.

Add the thyme (if using) and give a final stir.

Place the casserole dish, uncovered, into the centre of the preheated oven and cook for 20 - 25 minutes until the sausages are cooked through, the onions and apples have softened and the juice has reduced slightly.

Serve and enjoy!