First make the sauce: put all the ingredients into a saucepan, leaving the onion whole. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sausages: soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a few minutes, then squeeze dry. Mix the breadcrumbs with the minced pork, grated onion and garlic, and season well with salt and pepper. For smooth-textured sausages, pound the mixture or process in a food processor.

Fry a little of the sausage-meat until cooked; taste and adjust the seasonings.

Shape the mixture into about 32 fat little sausages about 5 cm /2 in long. Roll them in flour and place them in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 minutes to firm up.

Brush the sausages with the oil. Place them in a frying-pan over medium heat and cook, turning frequently, until evenly browned. Drain on absorbent paper.

Remove the onion and bay leaves from the sauce and sieve it to remove the seeds, if you wish. Add the sausages and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Serve hot.