Braised Chicken Sausage with Rosemary Polenta and Roasted Grapes

The succulent sausage pair beautifully with the sweet grapes and creamy polenta while the grapes get all sticky and caramelized.

Ingredients

  • Savory Chicken Sausages  ·  4 whole 
  • Garlic Cloves, minced  ·  3 whole 
  • Yellow Onion, sliced lengthwise  ·  1 
  • Chicken Stock  ·  1/2 cup 
  • Red Seedless Grapes, de-stemmed  ·  1 pound 
  • Feta Cheese, crumbled  ·  1 (6oz.) package 
  • Olive Oil  ·  1 tablespoon 
  • Salt  ·   
  •  ·   
  • For Polenta:  ·   
  • Cornmeal (P)  ·  1 cup 
  • Chicken Stock (P)  ·  1 quart 
  • Olive Oil (P)  ·  1 tablespoon 
  • Garlic Cloves, minced (P)  ·  4 whole 
  • Shallot, minced (P)  ·  1 
  • Butter (P)  ·  4 tablespoons 
  • Heavy Cream (P)  ·  2 ounces 
  • Parmesan Cheese (P)  ·  2 ounces 
  • Herbie's Ground Rosemary (P)  ·  1 tablespoon 
  • Herbie's Quatre Epices-Savoury (P)  ·  1 teaspoon 

Instructions

When there are gorgeous, perfectly ripe grapes in the produce section of your store use them in savory ways with the flavors and textures of this dish. The succulent sausage pair beautifully with the sweet grapes and creamy polenta while the grapes get all sticky and caramelized.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degress.

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken sausage to the pot and cook for 2 min on each side until they are browned on both sides. Remove from the pot. Add the garlic and onion and sweat for 2 min. Add the chicken stock and turn the heat down to low. Add the sausage back to the pot along with the grapes. Cover the pot and place in the oven and cook for at least 25min. or until the grapes are beginning to split and the onions are nice and caramelized.

(P) Meanwhile, Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepot. When the oil begins to shimmer add the garlic and shallots, sweat for 1 min. Then add 4 cups of chicken broth. Bring the stock up to a boil and slowly add the cornmeal while whisking vigorously. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes while stirring frequently. When the polenta is cooked it should become soft, creamy, and no longer mealy. At this point take it off the heat and stir in the butter, cream, Herbie’s Ground Rosemary, and Herbie’s Quatre Epices- Savoury.

Remove the sausage, grapes, and onions from the pot and reduce the remaining liquid just until it has the consistency of an au jus.

To serve, slice the chicken sausage and arrange it on top of the creamy polenta with both the grapes and onions on top. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese.

Chef Tips:

  • If you want to make more of a gravy instead of an au jus simply remove the sausage, grapes, and onions from the pot after cooking and add 2 more cups of chicken stock. In a separate sauté pan melt 3 tablespoons of butter, once melted add 3 tablespoons of flour to make a roux. Bring the chicken stock up to a boil, once boiling whisk in the roux to thicken the gravy. Cook for at least 10 min. or until the flavor of the flour is cooked out and the gravy is the right consistency. If it is too thick you can always thin it out with more stock. Season with Salt and pepper and serve.

  • If you can’t find rosemary chicken sausage, I think an apple chicken sausage, or a sweet pork sausage would work wonderfully, as well.

  • Make sure you take the grapes off of the stems, regardless of what other recipes might say.

Seduce Cabernet Sauvignon

Seduce Cabernet Sauvignon

Seduce, a Cabernet Sauvignon from a very warm Sonoma micro-climate expressing power hidden deep behind elegance.