Recipe: Rice with Brazilian Sausage, Red Peppers and Chickpeas

One of my favorite kinds of restaurants to eat at is a Brazilian steak house or "Churrascaria". Typically the service is "rodizio" style. Basically, you're seated and cocktails are offered Shortly thereafter the feast begins. "Passadors" or "meat waiters" come by your table with knives and skewers full of a variety of meats slowly cooked in special rotisserie ovens. Among my favorite meats are sirloin, tenderloin, pork loin and pork tenderloin. Though, I can't complain about the lamb, chicken, fish or duck, though I usually pass on the chicken hearts or chicken livers.

One of my friends' and my own favorites is the roasted Brazilian sausage. I can remember one night in particular at a churrascaria in Montreal known as Le Misla where the sausage was incredible. In fact I think many of the guys at my table that night would have said it rivaled the beef tenderloin!

While it was in churrascarias that I was introduced to Brazilian sausages, it's in my own home and from my own grill that I tend to eat it the most. Luckily, I live near an Portuguese/Brazilian/Spanish market and a dependable supply is always available.

While it is easily great served solo right from the grill, I have managed to use it in a couple of rainy day recipes, when the grill is not available. The recipe below represents my current favorite.

I f you can't find Brazilian sausage where you are, don't fret. This recipe will also do well with a variety of sausages like Italian, chorizo, chourico, andouille and others. Never be afraid to experiment!

Rice with Brazilian Sausage, Red Peppers and Chickpeas

2 TBS. Olive oil
2 lbs. of Brazilian Sausage
4 plum tomatoes (diced)
2 medium onions (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 tsp. smoked sweet paprika
1 bay leaf
2 cups of red bell pepper (diced)
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup of white wine
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley (to garnish)

Put the sausages in a deep pan and just cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the sausages until the water almost runs out.

Set the sausages aside. When cool, slice into 1/4" disks.

Set another deep pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil begins to shimmer add the onions and simmer until they begin to brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook stirring often until they give up their juice.

Add the red pepper, garlic, paprika, bay leaf, and chickpeas and continue to cook stirring occasionally.

Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Raise the heat a little. When the mixture almost loses all its moisture add the white wine and deglaze.

Add the rice and sausage and mix them in thoroughly. Cook it for a few moments to allow the rice to soak up some of the juices and flavor.

Add the chicken broth and water. Stir to mix in well and bring to a boil. Then lower to a low simmer and allow to cook uncovered until the rice is tender and absorbs most of the liquid. Add more liquid during cooking if necessary.

Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Top with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Recipe: Roasted Italian Sausages in Garden Sauce

This is a recipe that I planned in my head today while doing other things. You see the chourico and polenta recipe of a few days ago, got me to thinking about the Italian dinner I had at Al Forno that I based it on. So sometime around 8:00 AM I decided to do something similar. I walked in the door at 6:15 PM and started preparing it.

It was done by 7:30 and I photographed it. Then I sat down to eat it. It worked out deliciously well so after dinner here I am writing it all down for the blog which I will post right now!

Oh, you'll notice I call for the "thick good" balsamic vinegar for this dish. Don't go spending $100 or more on the vintage stuff. Get a few bottles of inexpensive balsamic vinegar and boil them down until they are rich and slightly syrupy. Yeah, food snobs will scoff, but it works great in most recipes calling for the top shelf variety.

What do snobs know anyway?

Roasted Italian Sausages in Garden Sauce

6 links of Italian sausage
2 TBS olive oil
3/4 cup of celery (finely chopped)
3/4 cup of carrot (finely chopped)
1-1/2 cups of onion (finely chopped)
1 tsp fennel seeds (coarsely ground)
1 pinch of red pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary (coarsely ground)
3 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)
1 cup of dry white wine
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 cup tomato sauce
2 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS balsamic vinegar (read above)
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp crushed black pepper
3/4 cup of grape tomatoes
Pecorino-Romano cheese

Fill a pan with water and place over high heat. Pierce the Italian sausages with a fork. Place in the pan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer until cooked through. Remove from heat.

Preheat your oven to 350°F

Place a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil When the olive oil begins to shimmer, add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, red pepper flakes and rosemary. Sauté until the the carrots and celery soften and the onions begin to brown.

Add the sliced garlic and stir in for 1-2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Allow the wine to reduce to a thick sauce.

Add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking as they reduce and give up their moisture.

Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, sea salt, black pepper and the balsamic vinegar. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and continue cooking. You want the sauce a little thick, not to thick, not too loose. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Get a large oven-proof casserole dish or cast iron skillet. Pour the sauce into the casserole dish or skillet and carefully place the Italian sausage in the sauce. They should not be immersed, but half exposed. Then take the grape tomatoes and distribute them around the sausages.

Place the casserole/skillet in the oven and keep and eye on it. You don't want it to thicken up to much. Cook like this in the oven until the sauce is just thick. Then transfer to the broiler to caramelize the top of the sausages, sauce and grape tomatoes. It's east to burn things in the broiler so keep a close eye on it.

When done, remove from the broiler. Shave some pecorino-romano over it and then serve with bread, over your favorite pasta or over polenta.

Recipe: Roasted Italian Sausages in Garden Sauce from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk
http://www.choponionsboilwater.blogspot.com

Recipe: Red Pepper & Italian Sausage Ragout with Lemon Pepper Risotto Timbals

The first thing I ever cooked was a fried bologna sandwich. I can't recall exactly how old I was, but I remember having to stand on my toes to see what was going on in the pan. It's a pretty vivid memory. I remember that I was doing it on the front, right burner in a black pan that had been greased with a little butter. I had two pieces cooking and they were doming up nicely. I also remember that I wasn't supposed to be doing it, and didn't want to get caught. In any event, I didn't get caught and the resulting sandwich was delicious and hot, with the perfect amount of mustard.

In contrast, the recipe to the right is probably the most elaborate looking one that I prepare. No, I'm not huge on presentation. I grew up in a socio-economic bracket that mandated the practical and economical above the esthetic. In order of importance, food should taste great and then look good. Food should never look better than it tastes. Hell, it can even look bad and smell bad (like morcella or sardines, etc.), as long as it tastes good.

It's been my experience that regardless of how precariously high it is stacked or how creatively garnished, a steak is a steak, chicken is chicken, and yes, a fried bologna sandwich is just a fried bologna sandwich. It's the ingredients and what takes place with them before reaching the plate that most often results in how good food is.

This dish is a favorite of my wife Michelle. It is also the longest recipe in my cookbook, but it is not hard to prepare by any means. I do suggest that you use very fresh vegetables and be sure not to overcook the red pepper. It should offer a little "tooth" and that way it will retain its sweetness and crunch.

Red Pepper & Italian Sausage Ragout with Lemon Pepper Risotto Timbals

1/8—1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
1 large red pepper (diced)
10 baby bella mushrooms (sliced)
4 Italian sausages (boiled, fried and sliced)
10 basil leaves-cut into strips
Salt & pepper to taste

Set stove on high.

Add olive oil to preheated pan. When olive oil begins to shimmer, add onions and cook until tender and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown or burn!

Add tomatoes and peppers, cook for about 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms and sausage.

Cook until mushrooms are just done, do not overcook the red pepper!

Salt and pepper to taste.

Add basil and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

Cover, and set over a warming flame while you prepare the risotto (recipe below).

Center lemon pepper risotto timbal on plate (be patient, they take a moment to slide out) and serve with the ragout surrounding the timbal.

Garnish timbal with a few strips of basil and serve.

Lemon Pepper Risotto Timbals

1/8—1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 to 6 cups of vegetable broth
1 pinch of saffron
2 shallots (chopped)
2-3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 cups of Arborio rice
Juice from 1/2 to 1 lemon (to taste)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a separate saucepan prepare the vegetable broth, bring to simmer and add saffron.

Place another pan on another burner set on high.

Add olive oil to preheated pan. When olive oil begins to smoke, add onions and cook until tender and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown or burn!

Add rice and fold into oil, onion and garlic mixture. Toast for a few minutes.

Cook risotto in the traditional way.

Add lemon juice, continue cooking until rice reaches the desired tenderness and consistency.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Let rice sit for a few moments before packing into lightly oiled ramekins to form into timbal, let sit a few moments, turn over ramekins and remove rice timbal.

Red Pepper & Italian Sausage Ragout with Lemon Pepper Risotto Timbals from Chop Onions, Boil Water by Henry Krauzyk