Grilled Andouille Sausage Sandwich Recipes

GRILLED ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE AND SHRIMP OVER GRILLED GRITS

Steps:

• Grilled Grit Squares:
• To prepare grits, bring the water and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. And gradually stir in the grits. Reduce the heat and simmer until thick, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, white pepper, and pepper sauce.
• Spread the grits in a 15 by 10-inch pan coated with cooking spray and let cool completely on a wire rack. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Invert grits onto a cutting board and cut into 6 squares. Put the squares on a grill pan coated with cooking spray, and grill until lightly browned and thoroughly heated for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan to a plate and keep warm.
• Heat grill to medium heat.
• Put the andouille sausage on the grill and start to cook.
• In a saute pan, over the grill, add the butter and melt. Stir in the flour and cook for 4 to 6 minutes for a medium brown roux. Add the onions, peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne. Continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage from the grill. Dice, add to roux, and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne. Add the shrimp and stir in the clam juice and cream. Bring the liquid to a simmer and continue to cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the green onions. To serve, put a grilled grits square in the center of each serving bowl. Spoon the sausage/shrimp mixture over the grits and garnish with parsley or chive sprigs before serving. If desired, serve with Grilled Collard Greens.

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Soak the casing in cold water for about an hour to soften it and loosen the salt in which it is packed. Place the wide end of the sausage stuffer up against the sink faucet and run cold water through the inside of the casing to remove excess salt.
• Cut the meat and fat into 1/2-inch wide chunks. Pass them once through the coarse blade of a meat grinder. In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork and fat with the garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, sage, and hickory smoke. A wooden spoon works well.
• Cut the casing into 26 inch lengths and tie a small knot in one end of each. Fit the open end over the tip of the sausage stuffer and slide it on until the tip of the stuffer touches the knot. The casing will look like accordion folds. This keeps excess air from getting into the casings. Fit the stuffer onto the meat grinder or according the directions that come with the stuffer, or hold the wide end of the stuffer against or over the opening by hand.
• Fill the hopper with the sausage mixture. Turn the machine on if it is electric and feed the stuffing gradually into the hopper; for a manual machine, push the stuffing through with a wooden pestle. The sausage casing will fill and inflate gradually. Stop filling about 1 1/4 inches from the funnel end and slip the casing off the funnel, smoothing out any bumps carefully with your fingers and being careful not to push the stuffing out of the casing. Tie off the open end of the sausage tightly with a piece of string or make a knot in the casing itself.
• To cook, slice the sausage into half-inch rounds and grill in a hot skillet with no water for about 12 minutes on each side, or until brown and crisp at the edges.