Otto's beer cheese soup

Ingredients:

• 115g butter
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 65g chopped carrot
• 80g chopped celery
• 140g plain flour
• 475ml chicken stock
• 1 (340ml) bottle pale ale or other beer of choice
• 200g extra-mature Cheddar, grated
• 200g processed Swiss cheese, grated
• 475ml single cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 450g smoked sausage

Preparation:

1) Melt the butter in a stockpot over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and saute until softened. Add the flour and cook for about five minutes, stirring often.

2) Add the chicken stock and beer and heat until it comes to a boil. Slowly add the cheese while stirring, until just boiling and smooth. Add the single cream, salt, dry mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

3) Reduce the heat to low and cook until the soup has thickened. Cut the smoked sausage into 1cm pieces and place in a saucepan. Saute the sausage over a medium heat until heated through, about five to seven minutes.

4) Add the sausage to the soup and stir in to distribute. Transfer to a large serving bowl, or to individual soup bowls, and serve hot.