Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

There are very few dishes that The Barefoot Contessa does not do well; foolproof recipes so to speak.  Her new cookbook Foolproof; recipes you can trust is a case in point.  One of the recipes she includes is this recipe for Roasted Sausages and Grapes.  The recipe comes from Al Forno, a restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island.  Al Forno is known for its wood-burning ovens and hardwood charcoal grills.  This is a dish I would cook in my fireplace in Lake Lure.

But unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your outlook, we are in Florida without a fireplace.  And fortunately this recipe can be cooked in a 500 degree oven. The  combination of sausages and grapes is a genius idea.  The following picture shows the sausages and grapes ready to go into the oven.

The roasted grapes make a sweet counterpoint to the spicy sausages.  The final touch is a balsamic vinegar reduction that brings it all together.  We absolutely loved this combination.

I served the sausages and grapes with creamy mashed potatoes and zucchini cakes.  This is an easy recipe and a satisfying winter meal.

ROASTED SAUSAGES AND GRAPES

1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian pork sausages
1 1/2 pounds hot Italian pork sausages
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds seedless green grapes, removed from the stems
1/2 cup good balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the sausages, and simmer for 8 minutes to remove some of the fat.  Remove to a plate.

Melt the butter in a large roasting pan on top of the stove.  Add the grapes and toss them to coat with butter.  Transfer the sausages to the roasting pan with tongs, nestling them down in the grapes in one layer.  Place in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the sausages once, until they’re browned and the grapes are tender.

Transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter with tongs and a slotted spoon and cover with aluminum foil to keep them hot.  Add the balsamic vinegar to the roasting pan and cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes to reduce the balsamic vinegar slightly.  Pour over the sausages and grapes and serve hot.

Printable recipe

This is a very easy week night dinner that can be pulled together with very little effort.  The inspiration came from Bonnie at From a Writer’s Kitchen.  She in turn adapted the recipe from The New York Times.  This begs the question “when does a  recipe become your own”?   However I arrived at the finished dish, it is a good one.

We are packing up the house in preparation for our return to Florida for the winter.  I had some bratwurst in the freezer, sage in the garden and linguini in the pantry.  It is almost as easy as that.  Throw in some cream or half and half and a bit of Parmesan and dinner is ready.

I served this with leftovers from the sage financiers I made here.

PASTA WITH SAUSAGE, SAGE AND CREAM

1/2 pound linguini cooked according to package directions
4 bratwurst sausages, cut into pieces and cooked
12 to 16 sage leaves
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 cup cream or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

While the pasta is cooking:

1.  Saute the sage leaves in the olive oil over medium heat until crisp.  This takes only about 30 sec per side. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
2.  Cut the sausages into half inch pieces and saute them in the same oil until lightly browned, adding the garlic at the last minute and saute until lightly golden in color.  Remove and set aside.
3.  Pour off the fat from the pan and stir in the cream or half and half.  Bring it almost to the boil, stirring.  Reduce the heat and stir the pasta in. Save some of the pasta water.  Correct the seasoning.  Add the sausages and heat through.  Add a little pasta water if it is too thick.
4.  Serve with a scattering of sage leaves and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan.

Printable recipe