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Italian Sausage with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar for Two

By Annie Petito

Published on May 21, 2015

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Italian Sausage with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar for Two

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil 12 ounces sweet Italian sausage 8 ounces seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise (1 ½ cups)½ onion, sliced thin2 tablespoons water ⅛ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons dry white wine 1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Before You Begin

Serve this dish with crusty bread and salad or over polenta for a heartier meal. Our favorite supermarket balsamic vinegar is Bertolli Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange sausages in pan and cook, turning once, until browned on 2 sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Tilt skillet and carefully remove excess fat with paper towel. Distribute grapes and onion over and around sausages. Add water and immediately cover. Cook, turning sausages once, until they register between 160 and 165 degrees and onions and grapes have softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer sausages to paper towel–lined plate and tent with aluminum foil. Return skillet to medium-high heat and stir salt and pepper into grape-onion mixture. Spread grape-onion mixture in even layer in skillet and cook without stirring until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is well browned and grapes are soft but still retain their shape, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, stir in wine and oregano, and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until wine is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar.
  3. Arrange sausages on serving platter and spoon grape-onion mixture over top. Sprinkle with mint and serve.
Italian Sausage with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar for Two

Italian Sausage with Grapes and Balsamic Vinegar for Two

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Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage
8 ounces seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise (1 ½ cups)
½ onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage
8 ounces seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise (1 ½ cups)
½ onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage
8 ounces seedless red grapes, halved lengthwise (1 ½ cups)
½ onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Italian sausage with grapes is a great example of the affinity that pork and fruit flavors have for one another. We wanted to pay homage to this simple Italian dish and highlight the attributes that make it so appealing. Taking inspiration from a potsticker cooking method, we use a combination of sautéing and steaming to produce sausages that are nicely browned but moist and juicy. Building the sauce in the same skillet, we cook down seedless red grapes and thinly sliced onion until caramelized to create a sweet but complex sauce. White wine, in addition to balsamic vinegar, lends the dish acidity and complements the grapes. Oregano and pepper contribute earthiness and a touch of spice, while a finish of fresh mint adds brightness.

Before You Begin

Serve this dish with crusty bread and salad or over polenta for a heartier meal. Our favorite supermarket balsamic vinegar is Bertolli Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange sausages in pan and cook, turning once, until browned on 2 sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Tilt skillet and carefully remove excess fat with paper towel. Distribute grapes and onion over and around sausages. Add water and immediately cover. Cook, turning sausages once, until they register between 160 and 165 degrees and onions and grapes have softened, 8 to 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer sausages to paper towel–lined plate and tent with aluminum foil. Return skillet to medium-high heat and stir salt and pepper into grape-onion mixture. Spread grape-onion mixture in even layer in skillet and cook without stirring until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is well browned and grapes are soft but still retain their shape, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, stir in wine and oregano, and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until wine is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in vinegar.
  3. Arrange sausages on serving platter and spoon grape-onion mixture over top. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

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