January 26, 2001

Sausage Back In Business As King Of Cuisine, Says Bon Appetit

by Joshua Lipsky

Sound bite: "Glamorous new sausages are an adventure to cook with, [and] it's unlikely you'll ever feel guilty about this particular guilty pleasure again."-- Michael McLaughlin, writing in the January issue of Bon Appétit

Nearly every meat processor or manufacturer enjoys at least some of the numerous varieties of fresh, cooked and ethnic-style sausages.

Guess what? So do the editors at one of the nation's top gourmet cooking publications, Bon Appetit. Here's what they have to say about the most versatile of meat products:

"Last year, sausages began a successful comeback tour, appearing everywhere from top restaurants to supermarkets. For true fans, of course, sausages never went away, though they have occasionally gone undercover (fear of fat can sometimes lead to rash culinary repression!). But now that crème brûlée, steak, and mashed potatoes are back in our good graces, so are sausages.

"The next time you're out shopping, take a look at all the new varieties. Recently spotted: andouille sausages made with turkey; duck with marmalade; lamb with rosemary; and chicken with seemingly everything, including apples, sun-dried tomatoes, tequila, black beans, green onions, bourbon, and roasted garlic.

"As you can tell simply by looking at the latest restaurant menus, glamorous new sausages are an adventure to cook with. Try them in these four recipes and see for yourself. It's unlikely that you'll ever feel guilty about this particular guilty pleasure again.

"The recipes accompanying the magazine's article were:

* Chicken sausage roasted with potatoes and Brussels sprouts;
* Kielbasa and lentil salad with warm mustard-fennel dressing;
* Pasta jambalaya;
* Grilled sausage sandwiches with caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese.

Anyone hungry?

(The preceding was adapted from an article by Michael McLaughlin in the January issue of Bon Appétit magazine. For more on the resurgent market for sausage and a review of some of the most creative new sausage products on the market, be sure to check out special editorial in the February issue of MMT).

This article reprinted with permission from Meat Marketing and Technology Magazine.

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