Chicken Sausages and Roasted Grapes over Rosemary Polenta
Despite the fact that these aren’t the best photos, this dish is UH-MAZING!
It’s super hard for me to make anything for the blog that Mikey and I can actually eat for dinner. Why? Well because I think my photos turn out best when taken in daylight as opposed to artificial light, but Mikey doesn’t usually get home from work until it’s dark.
This dish was a race against the sunset and, unfortunately, the sun won. This meant I had to set up my huge (HOT) fluorescent lights in my teeny tiny kitchen and try to snap a few decent photos in less than favorable conditions. While I can’t say I’m entirely pleased with the outcome, this dish was way too delicious not to share!
My new food obsession is grapes. I only just got over my cherry obsession, but there are too many gorgeous, perfectly ripe grapes in the produce section of my store to ignore. Annnnd I’ve been especially interested in using them in savory applications! So yes, this is only the first of what I’m sure will be many grape recipe to come!
I am so in love with the flavors and textures of this dish. The succulent sausage pair beautifully with the sweet grapes and creamy polenta. The grapes get all sticky and caramelized in the oven. Roasted grapes are a thing of beauty (especially when stuffed inside sweet potatoes).
If you can’t find rosemary chicken sausage, I think an apple chicken sausage, or a sweet pork sausage would work wonderfully here, as well.
One thing I do urge you to do that I did not would be to take the grapes off of the stems! The recipe I adapted mine from specifically said to leave the grapes on the stem. Yes, it looks pretty, but holy crap—it makes eating a nightmare! The stems tend to crisp up in the oven and then they snap leaving only the tiniest piece attached to the grapes that are not fun to eat, and terribly difficult to remove. So, do as I say, not as I do!
PrintChicken Sausages and Roasted Grapes over Rosemary Polenta
Yield: 2-3 servings
Ingredients:
for the rosemary polenta:
- 1/2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 and 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup medium-grind cornmeal (sometimes labeled as polenta, sometime labeled as cornmeal...you just don't want instant)
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp cream
- salt and pepper
for the sausages and grapes:
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large rosemary-chicken sausages (I use these)
- 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 1 pound red, seedless grapes (I would urge you to remove them from the stems)
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
- 2-4 tbsp crumbled feta
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
for the rosemary polenta:
- Heat the oil and butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic clove and sprig or rosemary nd cook for 1 minute. Add in the chicken broth and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- While whisking, slowly pour the cornmeal into the broth. Reduce to medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, adding water as necessary to keep it loose, and stirring every so often.
- When it's fully cooked, pull out the rosemary stem (the leaves should have all fallen off into the polenta), and stir in the butter and cream; cover to keep warm.
for the sausages and grapes:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- About ten minutes after you start the polenta, heat 1/2 tbsp of oil over high heat in a large cast-iron (or nonstick) skillet. Add in the sausages and brown them up for about 5 minutes. Add in the broth, onion, grapes, and rosemary and put in the oven for 25 minutes, turning the sausage and grapes halfway through, until the sausages are cooked and the grapes begin to burst.
- Spoon the polenta into serving dishes and top with the sausages and grapes.
- Place the hot pan the sausage were cooking in on the stove top, pour in the wine, and stir, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Pour over the sausages, grapes, and polenta, sprinkle the feta over, garnish with the parsley, and serve!
recipe generously adapted from here
