Quarantine life marches on and every day and is getting more mundane and we are settling into a new routine. Sweatpants and leggings have become the new wardrobe, although I do put my jeans on every 3-4 days to make sure they still fit. Netflix is humming along in the living room, the house has never been more organized and I have been cooking things that take a little longer. One of my favorite kitchen pieces is my big ol Le Crueset dutch oven. I got it as a Valentines Day gift over 10 years ago and it’s a well worn vessel in my house. Its used for soups, sauces and it’s great for braising.
St. Patricks day came and went last week quietly. With social distancing in place the bars and partying was shut down. I never was a big celebrator of the holiday. I do love the color green, but Irish food is meh to me. Bangers and Mash is generally a British dish, but leaks into the Irish category. I had it once at a restaurant and remembered liking it. I decided to create my own with a healthier twist.
Some sliced peppers and onions.
Brown the turkey sausages well on all sides and remove from the pot.
Add in the onions and peppers and cook until softened.
Here comes the Irish part.. add in about 8 ounces of Guinness. I don’t like beer so the extra few ounces of beer was a pre-dinner drink for my husband.
And some chicken broth
Add the sausages back to the pot and reduce the heat and cover the pot and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
make a cornstarch slurry with equal parts cornstarch and braising liquid. Add to the pot and stir gently into the liquid. Cook for 5 minutes or so until the liquid thickens into a beautiful sauce.
Serve on top of mashed potatoes. We use the Bob Evan refrigerator potatoes around here. Don’t judge-they are really good!
Beer Braised Turkey Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet onions (sliced thin)
- 2 bell peppers, red, orange or yellow (sliced thin)
- 1 lb package of sweet or hot turkey sausage
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces of Guinness beer
- 8 ounces of chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a preheated dutch oven or heavy bottom pot. Add the turkey sausage and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the onions and peppers to the pot and cook 5-10 minutes until softened. Add the beer and the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove the stuck on bits from the sausage that was cooked earlier. Increase the heat and bring mixture to a boil. Add the sausages back to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
Make a cornstarch slurry with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and add 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid in the pot. Stir to combine and add back to the pot and allow the sauce to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over mashed potatoes.
Moscato & Macarons 