Sausage & Pickled Sage Couscous
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 TB grapeseed oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (do not remove the casings)
1-1/4 pounds onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick (maybe 4 small onions*)
1 tsp coarse kosher salt, divided
1 cup couscous (not pearl)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup pickling brine from pickled sage**
1-1/2 TB roughly-torn pickled sage leaves**
Directions
Set a large skillet over medium-high and heat the oil until it just begins to shimmer, then carefully add the sausages pieces. Sear until quite browned all over, maybe 3 minutes a side, being careful not to burn them; cut the heat back to medium if necessary. Keep an eye on them, they darken quickly!
Add in the sliced onions, breaking them up to separate the slices, and turn the heat down to medium if you haven't already. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the onions soften and begin to darken at the edges, but again, watch carefully and stir every so often, scraping up some of browned bits, if possible. Once cooked, remove the sausage pieces to a small bowl and set aside, and stir 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the onions.
While the sausage and onions are cooking, place the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, as well as a good amount of pepper (at least 1/4 teaspoon). Boil the water, then pour over the couscous, stir it, and cover with a good lid or plastic wrap and let it sit for five minutes, then remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and taste for seasoning. You'll probably want a bit more pepper. Back to the sausage and onions...
Once the onions have cooked and the sausage pieces separated out, tip the onions into the couscous and give it a little mix. With the skillet back over medium/medium-high heat, toss in the raising and the pickling brine. Working quickly, scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and stir, reducing the liquid to about 1 tablespoon. Keep checking it, it'll happen before you know it.
Pour the raisin sauce into the couscous, and mix it well. Taste one last time for seasoning, adjust if needed, then platter or bowl it up, and top with the reserved sausage pieces. Finally, baptize the dish with the pickled sage. Serve, then accept your laurels with grace and humility.
Recipe based on one from The Nimble Cook, by Ronna Welsh
*I didn't have enough onion on hand to meet the requirement, so I added a large shallot. It worked fine.
**I posted the recipe for pickled sage leaves, which can be made weeks in advance. It's easy and available here: Recipe - Pickled Sage
The CookingBites recipe challenge: couscous
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1 TB grapeseed oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces (do not remove the casings)
1-1/4 pounds onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick (maybe 4 small onions*)
1 tsp coarse kosher salt, divided
1 cup couscous (not pearl)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup pickling brine from pickled sage**
1-1/2 TB roughly-torn pickled sage leaves**
Directions
Set a large skillet over medium-high and heat the oil until it just begins to shimmer, then carefully add the sausages pieces. Sear until quite browned all over, maybe 3 minutes a side, being careful not to burn them; cut the heat back to medium if necessary. Keep an eye on them, they darken quickly!
Add in the sliced onions, breaking them up to separate the slices, and turn the heat down to medium if you haven't already. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the onions soften and begin to darken at the edges, but again, watch carefully and stir every so often, scraping up some of browned bits, if possible. Once cooked, remove the sausage pieces to a small bowl and set aside, and stir 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the onions.
While the sausage and onions are cooking, place the couscous in a large mixing bowl. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, as well as a good amount of pepper (at least 1/4 teaspoon). Boil the water, then pour over the couscous, stir it, and cover with a good lid or plastic wrap and let it sit for five minutes, then remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and taste for seasoning. You'll probably want a bit more pepper. Back to the sausage and onions...
Once the onions have cooked and the sausage pieces separated out, tip the onions into the couscous and give it a little mix. With the skillet back over medium/medium-high heat, toss in the raising and the pickling brine. Working quickly, scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and stir, reducing the liquid to about 1 tablespoon. Keep checking it, it'll happen before you know it.
Pour the raisin sauce into the couscous, and mix it well. Taste one last time for seasoning, adjust if needed, then platter or bowl it up, and top with the reserved sausage pieces. Finally, baptize the dish with the pickled sage. Serve, then accept your laurels with grace and humility.
Recipe based on one from The Nimble Cook, by Ronna Welsh
*I didn't have enough onion on hand to meet the requirement, so I added a large shallot. It worked fine.
**I posted the recipe for pickled sage leaves, which can be made weeks in advance. It's easy and available here: Recipe - Pickled Sage
The CookingBites recipe challenge: couscous
