A couple of weeks ago, I got some red grapes in my produce box and short of simply eating them as a snack, I've never really done much with them. I certainly have never cooked with them! But this recipe for Italian Sausage with Grapes & Herbs has changed my mind on that practice!
The same afternoon that I received the grapes in my box, I saw Emiko Davies' post on Instagram about Pellegrino Artusi and his influence on her food writing. This recipe comes from the cookbook, Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well by Pellegrino Artusi, originally self-published in 1871. It's a book well-known in Italian home kitchens, but new to me! And I'll just leave that link right there in case someone wants to add to my library! 🙂
Emiko Davies, a cookbook author living in Artusi's Florence, says: "His three-sentence 'recipe' for salsicce coll'uva starts charmingly with "It is a trivial and ordinary dish, but I note it because the sausage, with that sweetness of the grapes could be to someone's liking." It certainly is to MY liking! (Find more of Emiko's description of this book and Artusi's influence in her post.)
Tuscan fennel sausage? Hmm ...
Of course, we can find Italian sausage here in the US. My grocery store even makes their own and they are delicious. However, I really wanted to see if I could get a really close likeness to Tuscan fennel sausages.
Using fresh ground pork, I added salt, fennel seeds that I crushed in a mortar and pestle, red pepper, and finely chopped garlic. I have no way of putting the sausage in casings, so I made patties instead. This is my go-to for Italian sausage now! Couldn't be more simple!
After browning the sausages, you are only three ingredients and 5 minutes away from dinner on the table!
Just add the grapes and let them blister a little bit. The add the white wine and the rosemary. Allow it to reduce just a bit, but not so much that there's no juice left.
Serve with crusty bread and something green like sauteed spinach ... or creamy polenta, like I did!
Recipe
Italian Sausage with Grapes & Herbs
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUSAGES
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ teaspoons coarsely ground fennel seeds use a mortar and pestle
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic very finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dry white wine
FOR THE DISH
- 1 bunch red grapes about ½-¾ pounds
- ¼ cup white wine or water
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Instructions
FOR THE SAUSAGES
- Combine all the ingredients and mix together very well. Form into 8 {2½-inch} patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to all the flavors to come together. Patties can definitely be made ahead and can also be frozen at this point.
FOR THE DISH
- Brown the sausages on both sides, releasing some of the fat, and cook through. Move them to the side after you've turned them over.
- Add the grapes and the rosemary and cook till the grapes are puffed and a little blistered.
- Add the wine or water and reduce it, being sure to keep a bit of liquid in the pan.
- Serve two patties for each person with crusty bread and something green like sauteed spinach. OR like I did ... with polenta.
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