Creamy Polenta With Sausages And Roasted Grapes Recipes

CREAMY POLENTA WITH PARMESAN AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, put cornmeal in a medium saucepan along with 1 cup water and whisk well to make a slurry; continue whisking mixture to eliminate any lumps. Put pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking frequently and adding water as needed to keep mixture loose and free of lumps, between 3 and 4 more cups. If mixture becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water; consistency should be similar to sour cream's.
• Polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on grind. Add cheese and butter. Taste and add salt, if necessary, and lots of pepper; serve topped with sausages.

ROASTED SAUSAGES AND GRAPES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.
• Parboil the sausages in water to cover for 8 minutes to rid them of excess fat.
• Melt the butter in a large heatproof roasting pan, add the grapes, and toss to coat. Over moderately high heat add the wine. Stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until the wine has reduced by half.
• Using tongs, transfer the parboiled sausages to the roasting pan and push them down in the grapes so the sausages will not brown too quickly. Roast in the oven, turning the sausages once, until the grapes are soft and the sausages have browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over a medium-high heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the roasting pan, and allow the vinegar and juices to reduce until they are thick and syrupy. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausages and grapes to a serving platter.
• Pour the sauce over the sausages and grapes and serve immediately, accompanied with fresh bread.

SAUSAGES AND GRAPES WITH CHEESY POLENTA

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning once, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the grapes and spread the mixture into an even layer. Cover and continue to cook until the sausages are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the sausages to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm.
• Increase the heat to high and continue cooking the grapes until they burst and the sauce is reduced, about 12 minutes. (Mash the grapes slightly with a fork if they¿re not bursting.) Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring the milk and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the polenta and thyme. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking often, until the polenta thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fontina until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
• Stir the parsley into the grape sauce and slice the sausages. Top the polenta with the sausages, grape sauce and more parsley.

STICKY PAN-ROASTED SAUSAGES WITH GRAPES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan set over a medium heat, tip in the sausages, then cook for 10 mins, turning every so often. Stir in the onions, then leave to cook for 5 mins more until the sausages are browned and the onions softened.
• Tip in the garlic, fennel seeds and grapes and cook for 5 more mins, stirring often, until the grapes are starting to soften. Pour over the vinegar and swirl around the pan. Cook for a few mins more until the onions are sticky and the sausages cooked through. Serve with soft polenta or mashed potato.

CREAMY SLOW-COOKER POLENTA WITH SAUSAGES

Steps:

• Whisk together the polenta, roasted red peppers, marinara, garlic, olive oil, oregano, garlic powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Whisk in 5 1/2 cups of water. Cook on low for 6 hours. (The polenta will keep very well on warm.)
• About 10 or 15 minutes before you want to eat, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat an oven-safe skillet with olive oil, and roast the sausages in the skillet in the oven until sizzling and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the skillet and put it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add a little more oil if the pan is relatively dry. Add the capers and pepperoncini to the hot skillet with the sausages, and let the capers pop, 1 or 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
• Stir the Parmesan into the polenta. The polenta will continue to firm up as it cools; stir in a few tablespoons of water if you would like it to be looser. Serve the polenta in shallow bowls topped with sausages, capers and pepperoncini. Pass more Parmesan at the table.

ROASTED SAUSAGES WITH GRAPES AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. On a large (13-by-18-inch) rimmed baking sheet, toss together onion slices, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper, and spread in an even layer. Roast for 8 to 12 minutes, until the onions turn translucent and the thinnest pieces take on a pale gold color at the edges.
• After 10 minutes, add grapes, seeds and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pan with onions, and toss well. Spread in an even layer and nestle sausage into the mixture.
• Roast until sausage has browned, 25 to 30 minutes, flipping sausage and tossing grapes and onions halfway through.
• Transfer sausages to a platter or to individual plates. Add parsley and chives to pan with grapes and onions and gently toss (this warms up and wilts the herbs). Use a slotted spoon to transfer grapes and onions to plates with the sausages.
• Add vinegar to rimmed baking sheet and scrape up any browned bits on the tray. Drizzle pan juices over the grapes and sausages, taste, and sprinkle more salt or vinegar on top, if desired.