“What’s for suppah?” is often the dreaded question in many families. Back when our tribe was younger, after a long day at the office or school, the household chores of chauffeuring to swim practice, play rehearsal or math club, shoveling the walk, tending the family pet, and starting the fire in the wood heater were overwhelming. The task of putting a delicious and nutritious meal on the table was almost painful.
That is when I learned about the simple art of roasting.
The modest step of preheating the oven to 450 degrees warmed the kitchen and cleared my mind. Scouting the refrigerator for potatoes and veggies, scrubbing them, and cutting them into bite-sized pieces was calming. Tossing them with oil, herbs and spices and the fragrance from roasting them soothed the senses. And presto! Another meal was on the table.
In her book, “Roasting : A Simple Art”, Barbara Kafka writes about how to roast absolutely everything, including vegetables, birds, meats, fish and fruits. Crank up the oven and throw it in was the essence of her motto. Although there is a bit more to the technique than that, roasting food is the earliest form of cooking. Roasting began as an open-air activity with a hand-turned spit over fire, then moved to fireplaces, and then into kitchens and the oven.
Roasting is the easiest and best way to concentrate and deepen flavors of food. The hot temperature seals in succulence, caramelizes the sugars, and creates robust, crusty and sweet flavors. Kafka notes that there are two things important to the art of roasting: the quality of your ingredients and your oven.
Roasting is simple, using just a few ingredients that should be of the best quality. That is why I like to roast roots like potatoes, turnips and rutabagas, carrots, beets squashes and sweet potatoes. The quality of roots stored in my refrigerator will not deteriorate over a period of time. The fats you use in roasting are important too: rancid olive oil or bacon fat imparts a nasty flavor. The chemistry of cooking with butter versus oil is different too. Animal fats brown more quickly than oil and may burn and smoke.
Getting to know your oven is like adjusting to the quirks of a cranky car or your best friend. Many ovens have hot spots, some take longer to heat than others, and the size of your oven matters also. Be sure the pan fits!
The recipe for Roasted Sausages and Brussel Sprouts is a riff on the current popular cooking technique of sheet pan suppers. One pot meals have been a staple in many cuisines, this just elevates the preparation to a pan in the oven rather than a pot on the stove. Personally, I prefer a heavy, cast-iron vehicle as it holds the heat better and the food cooks more evenly.
In this formula, the veggies are cut into bite-sized, even pieces that will roast in approximately the same amount of time. Vary the veggies! Carrots, broccoli, squash, turnip, or rutabaga also work in addition to or in lieu of the Brussel sprouts.
As the sausages roast, they yield a delicious fat that coats and seasons the vegetables. A fresh sausage like sweet or hot Italian work well. We enjoyed our roast with my husband’s venison, sage and juniper sausage links. The honey-mustard glaze is the piece de resistance that yields a hearty, caramelized, finger-licking good meal. Served piping hot from the oven with orange slices, or as an encore meal reheated with fresh corn bread, Roasted Sausages and Brussel Sprouts with Honey Mustard is a simple, inspiring, delicious and nutritious suppah on the table.
Roasted Sausages and Brussel Sprouts with Honey Mustard
Ingredients
- 1- pound sausages
- 1- pound Brussel sprouts *
- 1- pound small potatoes Yukon Gold or red potatoes work best
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Maine sea salt and fresh pepper
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- ¼ cup slivered almonds optional
Instructions
- Assemble ingredients and tools. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Trim the Brussel sprouts and slice them in half. Add to a large bowl.
- Scrub the potatoes and cut into halves or quarters. Add to the bowl.
- If the sausages have skin, score the skin in a few places on both sides. Add to the bowl. Add the olive oil and stir until the mixture is well coated. Season the mixture with 1-teaspoon Maine sea salt and 1- teaspoon fresh pepper.
- Spread the mixture in an even layer on the sheet pan. Arrange the vegetables cut side down. Roast until the vegetables just start to soften, about 15 minutes, shaking the pan after about 10 minutes.
- While the vegetables are roasting, combine the 2 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon grainy mustard in small bowl.
- Drizzle the honey mustard over the sausages and vegetables, tossing them to coat.
- Sprinkle with the slivered almonds.
- Roast until the sausages are cooked, and the vegetables are golden and tender, about another 10 minutes.
- Season to taste with Maine sea salt and fresh pepper.
