Got a fave recipe your family loves? Do you make a sure-fire hit for dessert, appetizer, side dish, homemade gift, holiday, picnic, lunchbox? Have you saved a recipe that’s been in your family forever and/or that’s from the Old Country? Willing to share it with Cook’s Corner?
The New Town Press is welcoming Reader Recipes as a tasteful (oh yes, pun intended) and fun way to encourage community sharing with friends and neighbors and thereby finding new ideas for your own recipe collection. Everybody has favorite recipes that other families would love to try. Submitted recipes will be edited for clarity as needed and the sender’s name will be listed in print and online with the recipe.
If you have photos of the finished dish, please send along for printing online. You are encouraged to also add a short note about why this recipe is a favorite, whether it’s the taste, ease of preparation, history with your family, or anything that will personalize your submission. There are a lot of “foodies” in this area who would love to dig in (Yup. Another pun on purpose!) to new mealtime ideas.
Please email your recipe to editor@newtownpress.com and be sure to include your name, your hometown, and a number where you can be reached for questions about the recipe. You may send more than one recipe, although likely only one will be printed per month. It will be highlighted as a Reader Recipe in the Cook’s Corner column.
Check out the Reader Recipe at the end of the BBQ recipes. Unlike many features about the BBQ pit, we are not concentrating on the traditional burgers, dogs, steak or chicken. There’s another, often unsung, perfect grilling meat that sometimes gets lost in the list of summer barbie suggestions so before summer ends, let’s add the sausage to the grill and let its unique flavors shine.
BEER DRUNKEN SAUSAGES ON THE BARBIE
Recipe adapted from How to Grill by Steven Raichlen
A needle or long pin and a cork
3 lbs uncooked sausages, such as sweet or hot Italian sausages, bratwurst, chorizo, linguica, or any sausage you prefer. You can use more than one kind.
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 C beer, more as needed
1 Tbls or so of vegetable oil
Mustard, for serving
Prick each sausage a half-dozen times with a needle or a pin stuck in a cork. Arrange the onion slices on the bottom of a sauté pan just large enough to hold all the sausages. Place the sausages on top and add beer and water to cover, using about 3 parts beer to 1 part water.
Place the pan over medium heat and gradually bring the liquid to a simmer. Do not boil. Poach the sausages until half-cooked, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer them to a rack on a baking sheet to drain or drain in a colander. Separate the sausage links. Set your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. When grill is ready, brush and oil the grate. Lightly brush the sausages on all sides with oil and place on the hot grate.
Grill until the casings are crisp and nicely browned and the sausages are cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If you want, rotate sausages 90 degrees after 2 minutes on each side to create a traditional crosshatch of grill marks.
Use a thin metal skewer to test for doneness. Insert it into the center of one of the sausages. They are done if the skewer comes out hot to the touch. Transfer sausages to plates or a platter and let rest for 3 minutes. Offer lots of mustard or perhaps an array of small dishes with different mustard styles and flavors. Serves 6 to 8 people.
GRILLED BRATWURST SANDWICHES
Made special with tomato jam and sauerkraut
3 medium ripe tomatoes (3/4 to 1 lb.), cored and chopped
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 uncooked bratwursts (about 1-1/4 lb.)
4 hoagie sandwich rolls, split
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seed
1 C bagged sauerkraut, drained
1/3 C low-salt chicken broth
Start a medium gas or charcoal grill fire. In a small saucepan, mix the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, thyme, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, and simmer. Stir often, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mixture resembles a thick, chunky ketchup, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Grill the sausages, turning occasionally, until cooked through and dark golden-brown all over, 10 to 15 minutes. In the last few minutes of cooking, toast the sandwich rolls on a cleared space on the grill, 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.
As the sausages are cooking, heat the oil and the cumin seed in a small saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sauerkraut, broth, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spread the rolls with some of the tomato jam and then place a sausage inside each. Top the sausages with the cooked sauerkraut and serve. Serve with chips or a zesty potato salad. Makes 4 sandwiches.
KIELBASA KABOBS
Hearty-flavored, glazed sausage complemented by fresh veggies
Kielbasa sausage, about 14 oz.
2 yellow peppers
2 red peppers
1 red onion, large
1 can pineapple chunks (optional)
Balsamic honey glaze
½ C honey
1/3 C balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
¼ tsp salt
Prepare glaze by combining all ingredients in a small bowl, then set aside.
Cut sausage into 2 inch chunks. Chop peppers into 1-2″ squares. Thoroughly drain the pineapple chunks over several layers of paper towel. Cut into 1-2″ chunks, if necessary
Push ingredients onto skewers, alternating kielbasa, red pepper, pineapple (if using), onion, and yellow pepper. Baste the kabobs on all sides lightly with glaze and set aside on a separate plate while preparing the barbecue grill.
If using a charcoal grill, light your briquets with a starter and sit them in a corner to get hot. Then, place the hot coals out over about half of the grill, and leave the other side empty. Lightly oil the grill grate with a paper towel to prevent sticking. Lay the kabobs on the grill in a straight line.
Periodically rotate kabobs from front to back, over the coals, so they cook evenly. Turn them as needed to let each side cook. Periodically brush with glaze, reserving some for serving.
Kabobs are done when the kielbasa is heated through and starts to blacken in spots. Brush with any remaining glaze and serve immediately. Makes about 7-8 kabobs. If desired, garnish with minced parsley, garlic, mint leaves or oregano, or offer the minced spices as side garnishes that folks can add with their own spoon.
Serendipitously, our very first READER RECIPE goes well with anything barbecue and makes use of the season’s locally abundant fresh zucchini.
BAKED ZUCCHINI CHIPS
Great BBQ accompaniment. Thank you to Kathryn Ridinger-Clement for this Reader Recipe
3-4 fresh, medium-sized zucchini
½ C Panko © bread crumbs
¼ C fresh basil, cut fine
Dash salt
¼ C Parmesan cheese, grated.
Mix bread crumbs, basil, salt and cheese in a medium bowl. Moisten just until it sticks slightly together, then dredge the zucchini in the mixture, making sure all sides are coated well. Remove each zucchini from the bowl and cut into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Discard the ends.
Spread a cookie sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and spray with cooking spray or sprinkle all over with olive oil. Place rounds of coated zucchini in a single layer and bake at 450 for about 30 minutes, or until crispy and browned. Remove and let cool before transferring to plate or platter. Serves 4-6 people.
Tip: You can make the breadcrumb mix ahead of time. Cover and place in fridge.
By Jean Redstone
