Italian Sausage & Red Grapes

Sausage and grapes is one of those rustic Tuscan combinations that sounds odd until you taste it. Plump red grapes burst under the roasting heat, mingle with rendered fat from hot Italian sausage, and pull every bit of balsamic vinegar into a glossy, sweet-savory pan sauce.

Parboiling the sausages first is the move that keeps them juicy. They lose excess fat and finish cooking gently, so the high oven heat browns the casings without drying out the meat. Lay them right on top of the grapes and the fruit catches every drip.

The finishing touch is the sauce. Pull the sausages, mash some of the grapes into the pan juices, bring to a quick boil, and whisk in cold butter off the heat. The sauce turns silky and clings to whatever you spoon it over.

Chef Tips

• Use seedless red grapes. Smaller, firmer ones hold their shape better than soft varieties.
• Crank the oven as high as it goes. Real heat is what blisters the grapes and crisps the casings.
• Whisk the butter in cold and off heat. A boiling sauce will split it instead of emulsifying.
• Score the sausages lightly before parboiling to release fat and prevent bursting.

Variations

• Swap hot sausage for sweet Italian and add a pinch of crushed red pepper for control over the heat.
• Add sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme to the roasting pan for an herbaceous finish.
• Serve over creamy polenta instead of mashed potatoes for a more northern Italian plate.