Are there any ingredients more helpful to the harried home cook than sausages?
Available at all kinds of markets (from super to farmer), they come preseasoned, so you don’t need to fuss with them when you get them home. Just plop them into a pan, and apply high heat. They will practically cook themselves, their skins blistering and browning, while their juices leak out around them, adding to their brawny appeal. There are so many different varieties you won’t ever get bored, whether you’re in the mood for mild chicken and apple or fiery lamb merguez. Sausages satisfy many cravings.
Although sausages are equally good fried in a skillet or roasted on a sheet pan in the oven, of those methods, I gravitate toward the oven for two reasons.
The first is that, since there’s inevitably more room on the sheet pan than on a skillet, I can throw in vegetables and even fruit, turning a package of sausages into a one-pan meal. Here, I’ve added a mix of thinly sliced onions and seedless grapes, which caramelize in the high heat, while softening in the sausage fat and absorbing its richness.
The second is about that fat. Good sausages splatter; it’s their rightful nature. But it’s better for that to happen in the dark depths of my oven, where I can’t see it.
Although sausages don’t need any additional seasoning, the grapes and onions do. A sprinkling of crushed whole spices accomplishes this nicely. I’ll usually use whatever spice tin I grab first, but, if that makes you nervous, I can tell you that fennel is excellent with spicy Italian sausages (which are also often spiked with fennel), while caraway and bratwurst or kielbasa make for a very happy union. Coriander will go with just about anything, so use it when you’re in doubt, and cumin is fabulous with deeply flavored sausages, like merguez or fresh chorizo.
Just make sure that whatever sausages you end up buying aren’t too lean; otherwise, you won’t have those drippings to revel in.
Serve it all with a hunk of good bread or something else to sop up the juices (polenta, mashed potatoes, noodles) and a big green salad. And take full credit for making a hearty, tasty meal even when, deep in your heart, you know the bulk of the praise should probably go to the butcher. But smile and accept it anyway.
