Once again, Artichoke Hart found himself with an excess of non-drinkable red wine. And so, searching for recipes that utilized other excess-purchased products–like sausage–he came across this simple dish that was perfect for a late afternoon barbeque on the terrace at the Complex in Oswego. (New York Fried, Sunao Publishing).

Though simple, if patient with the various stages, the result is tasty, earthy, and when served with potatoes au gratin, extraordinarily satisfying. This recipe serves 2 people but simply multiplying the ingredients will suffice to create a family or entertainment dish.

INGREDIENTS

2 sausages (mild Italian, Bratwurst, or similar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1/4 red onion, separated into coils or chopped (your preference)
2 tsp brown sugar
1 twig of rosemary
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup of red wine (the better the quality, the better the taste but even cheap wines work well enough)
1 cup beef stock (prepared is better than a mix)

METHOD

1. In a 10″ cast iron skillet, pour the olive oil into the pan and place on a hot bbq or outdoor grill.
2. When red hot, place sausages in skillet and brown on all sides. Remove to a side plate.
3. Add butter to the skillet. Add red onion and mix in.
4. While onion is carmelizing, add 2 tbsps brown sugar and a twig of rosemary
5. Wait until onions have caramelized and then add the balsamic vinegar.
6. Add sausages and spoon some of the caramelized onions over them (allows flavour to seep in)
7. Add wine and let alcohol cook off for a minute
8. Add beef stock and cook in closed grill (or oven) for 30 minutes. (At the halfway point, turn the sausages over and pour liquid/onion mixture over sausages.)

   Serve with au gratin potatoes on a plate with edges so that juices are contained on the plate. Some crusty bread for dipping is a good idea also.This and other recipes occasionally pop up in the Artichoke Hart series (available here), or the London Cartwright series (available here). Both chefs are fictional… the dishes are not.