Cider Braised Sausages Recipes

HARD CIDER-BRAISED SAUSAGES WITH SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the sausages all over, in batches if necessary, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove to a plate as they brown. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
• Add the sauerkraut and toss to combine with the onions. Add the thyme, coriander and allspice and stir to combine. Season with pepper. Pour in the cider and reduce by half. Add the stock and brown sugar and return to a simmer. Tuck the sausages back into the pot and simmer, uncovered, until the kraut is very tender and the sauce is flavorful and slightly reduced, 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt, if needed.
• Bring the sauce to a boil, add the butter and swirl to melt and combine. Serve topped with the parsley.
• Remove any loose leaves from the cabbage head and reserve. Quarter the cabbage and thinly slice, on a mandoline if you have one. (The shreds should be about the thickness of a quarter.) Toss the cabbage in a large bowl with the pickling salt. Work the cabbage through your hands and massage for a minute or two, until the cabbage begins to "sweat" and release some water.
• Thinly slice, then julienne the green apple, leaving the peel on. (Again, use a mandoline if you have one.) Slice the ginger into coins and press with the side of your knife to bruise them slightly and release their oils. Add the apples, ginger and allspice berries to the cabbage and toss well. Let sit for an hour or two, until the cabbage has released quite a bit of water.
• Pack the cabbage mixture into a large, wide-mouthed crock and press down very firmly until the liquid the cabbage has released covers it. (Depending on the age of your cabbage, it may release less water; a fresher cabbage will release a lot of water, while a cabbage that has been stored all winter will release less.) If the cabbage is not covered, mix together 1 quart cold water and 4 1/2 teaspoons pickling salt until dissolved and pour over enough to cover the cabbage.
• Use a couple of the reserved whole cabbage leaves to cover the surface of the cabbage. Cover with a plate (or the weight provided, if you have a fermenting crock) and set something heavy on top to weight it. (You can use cans. Many people like to use a resealable plastic bag filled with the same salted water solution used above because it weights evenly and if it leaks, it doesn't ruin the fermentation process.) Store the crock in a cool, dry place.
• Check the kraut after 2 days. There should be a few bubbles around the sides. Skim any scum that has risen to the surface. Check the kraut every few days and repeat skimming, if needed. Depending on the temperature of your room, the kraut should be ready after about a week. (Some people ferment for a couple of weeks or more, depending on how funky they want their kraut to be.)
• Divide the kraut and pack into jars. Store in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse the kraut well (discarding any ginger pieces) before using.

BRAISED SAUSAGES

Steps:

• Prick the sausages. De-rind and chop the bacon. Peel and thickly slice the onion or peel the shallots and leave whole. Wash the mushrooms and slice if large.
• Heat the oil in a casserole or thick saucepan, over a moderate heat, and lightly brown the sausages. Remove them from the pan.
• Add the bacon and onion, and fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the flour, and gradually add the wine, beer, cider or stock, stirring as the sauce thickens.
• Return the sausages to the pan. Add the mushrooms, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Reheat, then put on the lid, lower the heat and leave to simmer gently for 35-45 minutes, removing the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. Add a little more liquid if it gets too dry.

CIDER-BRAISED SAUSAGES

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• 2. In a shallow flame-proof casserole, cook bacon over medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until it starts to crisp and has rendered its fat. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; set aside on a large plate. Add sausages to casserole; cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, until browned (sausages won't be thoroughly cooked at this point). Remove sausages from the casserole; set aside with bacon. Drain off all but 2 tbsp fat from the casserole.
• 3. Add onion to casserole; cook, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown. Add garlic; cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually stir in cider, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the casserole. Return the bacon and sausages to the casserole, add the Worcestershire sauce, sage, bay leaf and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover for about 40 minutes, until sausages are cooked through.
• 4. Remove the sausages from the casserole; set aside and keep warm. On stove top, boil the cooking juices in the casserole over medium-high for about 5 minutes or until they are reduced and slightly thickened. Season with salt and more pepper if necessary. Return the sausages to the casserole; garnish with sage when serving.

SAUSAGES WITH CIDER AND SAUERKRAUT

Steps:

• Prick sausages several times with the tip of a small knife. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown sausages, turning occasionally, about 3 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Add remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons butter to skillet along with onion, bay leaves, caraway seeds, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in sauerkraut, cider, and sugar, then nestle sausages into mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes.