Lithuanian potato sausages (Vėdarai)

1. Soak the casings in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, then rinse them inside; preheat the oven to 180 °C.

2. Dice the bacon small, render it in a frying pan, add the finely chopped onion and fry for 8-10 minutes until golden brown; set a third aside for serving.

3. Peel the potatoes and quickly grate them finely, squeeze out the juice hard in a tea towel (stir back in the starch that settles at the bottom), then add the bacon and onion, marjoram, salt and pepper.

4. Slide the casing onto a funnel, tie off the end and fill loosely, only three-quarters full, so there's room to expand during baking; tie off every 25 cm or so, or coil into a spiral.

5. Lay the sausages in an oiled roasting tin, prick them in a few places with a toothpick and bake for about 1 hour, turning halfway, until the skins are crisp and brown.

6. Serve piping hot with sour cream and the reserved bacon and onion spooned over, with sauerkraut on the side.

Tip: Lithuanian vėdarai are the festive dish of the pig-slaughtering season; grated potato browns quickly, so work briskly once grated – that's why many people use the grating disc of a food processor.