A case for sausage: link up with the world's oldest convenience food - Food

Sunset, Oct, 2003 by Sara Schneider

Sometimes, convenience food can be a good thing. Sausages, one of the oldest such foods, bring vibrant flavor to simple cooking. More and more sausage makers in the West have been producing high-quality links. We like to use flesh ones in slow-cooked dishes, such as merguez with scalloped potatoes.

Fully cooked sausages make a natural cornerstone for a quick ragout with all the flavor of a long-braised stew.

Merguez Sausages
with Scalloped Potatoes

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

NOTES: Harissa-spiced merguez sausages,
are available from specialty butchers.

MAKES: 6 or 7 servings

    1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 pounds fresh merguez (spicy beef;
      see notes) or lamb sausages
    1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and
      slivered lengthwise
    5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
    2 cups whipping cream
      About 1 1/4 cups fat-skimmed
      chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
    4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes,
      peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
      Chopped parsley

1. In a 10- to 12-inch ovenproof frying
pan (with sides at least 2 1/2 in. tall) over
medium-high heat, melt butter. Add
sausages and turn until browned all
over, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate

2. Reduce heat to medium, add onion
and garlic to pan, and stir occasionally
until slightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes
Pour in cream and 1 1/4 cups broth; stir in
salt and pepper. Add potatoes. (Liquid
should just cover; if it doesn't, add more
broth.) Bring to a simmer over medium
high heat, gently stirring occasionally
Lower heat and barely simmer, uncovered,
until potatoes are tender when
pierced, about 20 minutes (do not boil).

3. Arrange sausages on potato mixture
and transfer pan to a 350[degrees] oven. Bake
until cream mixture has thickened and
is well browned on top and sausages
are cooked through (cut to test), 40 to
45 minutes.

4. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve potatoes
and sausages from pan.

Per serving: 731 cal., 60% (441 cat) from fat; 23 g
protein; 49 g fat (25 g sat.); 49 g carbo (3.3 g fiber);
1,667 mg sodium; 145 mg chol.

Sausage and
Artichoke Ragout

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: Serve over soft-cooked polenta.

MAKES: 4 servings

    About 1 tablespoon olive oil
  1 pound cooked poultry sausages
  1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and
    thinly slivered lengthwise
  2 tablespoons minced garlic
  1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
  2 packages (8 oz. each) frozen
    artichoke hearts, thawed
  2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes
3/4 to 1 cap drained pitted kalamata
    olives, halved
  1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
    Salt and pepper

1. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a 10- to
12-inch ovenproof frying pan (with
sides at least 2 1/2 in. tall) over high heat;
when hot, add sausages and turn until
browned all over, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a board. Slice on the diagonal
1/2 inch thick.

2. Meanwhile, add onion and garlic to
pan (if no fat is left in pan, add a little
more oil) and stir occasionally until
they begin to brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add wine, broth, and artichoke hearts;
bring to a boil and stir occasionally
until liquid is reduced by about half,
10 to 12 minutes.

3. Add sausages, tomatoes, olives, rosemary,
and oregano; bring to a simmer,
lower heat, and cook, stirring often, 5
minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 433 cal., 46% (198 cal.) from fat; 23 g
protein; 22 g fat (4.5 g sat.); 29 g carbo (12 g fiber);
1,275 mg sodium; 111 mg chol.