There have been a lot of potatoes in my life recently. I attribute it mainly to the season change- when it gets cold out it is time to whip up some mean taters. So tonight I was looking through the pantry thinking about making a risotto for dinner when Caroline says that she would like some bratwurst and mashed potatoes. Well, okay then. Risotto tomorrow night.
Originally I was thinking about grilling the brats and serving them in some hoagie buns, topping with the mashed potatoes and calling it a night. The problem is that there is a snowstorm going on outside and I’m just not interested in braving the elements. Instead, I sliced them on the bias and pan roasted them over relatively low heat. Just enough sizzle to know they are cooking. I figured that some caramelized onions would do the trick to punch up the flavor a lot, so I got those going as well.
Potatoes were the last thing on my mind. I had some chives left over from a yogurt dip that we took to a birthday party on Friday, so I figured that was probably good enough. A little butter, some cream and chives would give the dish that degree of freshness that it needed. Sausage and caramelized onions are heavy on flavor and on the palate in general- the chives would give a blast of herb magic to the dish. This recipe is really easy so you can make it any night of the week.
Makes enough for 4 people.
Ingredients:
1 package Johnsonville (no kidding) Bratwurst, sliced on the bias into coins
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced into 1″ cubes
1/2 cup cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup reserved cooking water
4 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
This dish kinda comes together from all directions right about the same time so it is important to start specific things earlier than others. The first thing to start on is the onions because they are going to take the longest. Take a pan out that has a tight fitting lid and turn the burner on medium-high. Melt the butter and add one tablespoon of oil. When the pan and butter are hot, add the onion and a pinch of kosher salt. Cover the pan and don’t open it for at least five minutes. Listen to the pan- if you hear tons of sizzle, turn the heat down a little bit. If you don’t hear any, turn the heat up. You’re going to be cooking these onions for about 30 minutes, so have patience. Just about every 5 minutes or so, stir the onions and be sure to cover the pan every time. Pay attention to the heat in the pan- you don’t want them to burn.
Put the onions in the pan, cover and leave em alone for a while. Photo by Scott Groth
After about 7 minutes of cooking- time to stir a little. Cover and keep cooking slow and low. Photo by Scott Groth
After the onions have started, get a stock pot out and fill with water. Cover the pot and set over high heat. While you are waiting for the water to boil, take out a large skillet and put it on a burner over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, layer the pan with the sausage. If the pan is too hot, reduce the heat- it should just be sizzling, not burning the meat. Cook for about four minutes a side, then flip. When they are done, move them to a plate that is covered with paper towels to absorb some of the grease. Set aside.
Back to the water: when it comes to a boil, salt the water pretty heavily. When it comes back to a boil, add in the potatoes carefully. Bring back to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until fork tender. Be sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Strain the potatoes in a colander. Next, put the potatoes back into the pan and turn over medium heat. Cook off some of the moisture for about a minute or two. Remove the pot from the heat and add in the butter and cream (or milk if you want). Mash around. Add in some cooking liquid if they look dry. When you have the desired consistency, give them a taste. Add in salt and pepper as needed. Toss in the chives and stir with a spoon.
Okay- so the onions should be fairly caramelized by this point. Reduce the heat to low and uncover. Cook for another 5 minutes and they should be ready to serve.
These are what they should look like around 20 minutes or so. Starting to caramelize nicely. Keep em covered up. Photo by Scott Groth
When your onions look like this, it's time to uncover and cook for a couple more minutes. Photo by Scott Groth
So I thought tonight that we would have some upscale comfort food. I hit the plate with a dollop of ballpark mustard and spread it out with the backside of the spoon. Next up is a healthy serving of the potatoes, topped with some of the caramelized onions. I stacked some of the roasted sausage coins on top and hit it again with some onions. Nobody said that comfort food can’t have a little style. Tonight we enjoyed the dish with some Anchor Steam Christmas Ale 2010. All around, it was a really good dinner. Enjoy!
So this is it- some pan roasted sausage with caramelized onions over a bed of chive mashers. Mustard tastes good with this dish. Photo by Scott Groth