SAUSAGE & Spicy RED GRAVY
Some meals, even simple ones, are so good you can remember everything about them. Back around 1979-80 I had the pleasure of meeting one of my friends mother. Her name was Marie Viatar and she still lived in the same shotgun house she raised her family of seven children. When we got to the house, we had actually gone to deliver Ken’s fathers lawnmower from the repair shop, I could smell food cooking. Marie was in the kitchen, nothing fancy, gas four burner stove and lots of clutter around the sparse countertop and a small table with four chairs in the center of the room. There was about a seven quart cast iron dutch oven bubbling away and another pot with a fresh made batch of fluffy white rice waiting. Marie made her own bread and two loaves sat on the cooling rack next to the sink. Ken gave his momma a kiss and introduced us while he stuck a spoon in the pot to sample the gravy. From the smile on his face I could tell it was good and we were invited to stay and eat. Lunch was nothing fancy, we ate at the kitchen table, just the four of us with mix match bowls and a loaf of the bread. We served our bowls at the stove getting several spoons full of rice then covering it with the sausage and thick red gravy and after the blessing we dug in. My first bite left me with the thought, my god how am I going to eat this I like hot food but this was almost insane but I wanted another bite. It was so hot yet tasted so good, it was that delicate balance of flavor you often hear about but seldom find achieved to perfection. Before long I was sopping the last of the gravy from my little yellow bowl. I asked for the recipe and got it. It took me a few tries to make it work and I still think Marie’s is better than mine but here is in print what I was given word of mouth. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS: Bear with me on the explanations
1 lb link sausage (pork, beef, mixed or andouille all work but I prefer either mixed or andouille. Deer sausage is very good in this if it is not too lean)
1 lb hot links (hot links are a very spicy link sausage if you can’t find them use the hottest link sausage you can buy)
cut all your sausage into pieces, some people like ½” some like bigger so I’m not going to tell you how big to cut your sausage, I like mine 1/2” to ¾”
3 cups beef stock
2 onions diced
2 stalks celery
1 small green bell pepper
1 bunch green onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced ( I use a garlic press)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
3 – 5 ½ oz cans Spicy Hot V8 juice
1 stick butter
2 tbsp sugar (I heap the spoons full of sugar so it is probably more like 3 or 3 ½, it cuts the bitterness)
Tony Chacheres Cajun Seasoning or your own brand to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a large cast iron pot at least 5 quarts and enameled cast iron works just fine, melt the butter and add the sausage.
Cook the sausage (but not the hot links) about 6-7 minutes then stir well to brown the other side. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic after stirring and cover for another 6-7 minutes.
Stir the pot, add the beef stock (vegetable stock or plain water works too) cover and cook on medium about 30 minutes. Check to make sure the liquid doesn’t all steam out and scrape the bottom of the pan a couple of times during this steaming process to help the gravy.
Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, V8 juice and sugar stirring well to mix. Now is when you add the hot links or hot sausages and chopped green onion. Most of the beef stock or whatever you used will be already gone but if not that’s OK since you will be simmering this for at least 30 minutes allowing the gravy to thicken. If you want a thicker gravy add more tomato paste, if you want a thinner gravy add more V8 juice or water. I like my gravy thinner than spaghetti sauce. This simmering may take up to an hour to get the consistency you like but don’t worry, the sausage is very forgiving and hard to overcook.
Make a big pot of long grain rice and have a loaf of French bread and butter.
If this comes out real hot a big glass of cold milk is best to cool the mouth.
If you don't like food all that hot mild the recipe down by substituting another can of diced tomato for the Rotel & green chilies. use tomato juice or plain V8 juice instead of the spicy V8 and if you must do not use hot sausage but that really kills the theme of this traditional Cajun dish.
Ce plat est magnificient - This dish is magnificent
Some meals, even simple ones, are so good you can remember everything about them. Back around 1979-80 I had the pleasure of meeting one of my friends mother. Her name was Marie Viatar and she still lived in the same shotgun house she raised her family of seven children. When we got to the house, we had actually gone to deliver Ken’s fathers lawnmower from the repair shop, I could smell food cooking. Marie was in the kitchen, nothing fancy, gas four burner stove and lots of clutter around the sparse countertop and a small table with four chairs in the center of the room. There was about a seven quart cast iron dutch oven bubbling away and another pot with a fresh made batch of fluffy white rice waiting. Marie made her own bread and two loaves sat on the cooling rack next to the sink. Ken gave his momma a kiss and introduced us while he stuck a spoon in the pot to sample the gravy. From the smile on his face I could tell it was good and we were invited to stay and eat. Lunch was nothing fancy, we ate at the kitchen table, just the four of us with mix match bowls and a loaf of the bread. We served our bowls at the stove getting several spoons full of rice then covering it with the sausage and thick red gravy and after the blessing we dug in. My first bite left me with the thought, my god how am I going to eat this I like hot food but this was almost insane but I wanted another bite. It was so hot yet tasted so good, it was that delicate balance of flavor you often hear about but seldom find achieved to perfection. Before long I was sopping the last of the gravy from my little yellow bowl. I asked for the recipe and got it. It took me a few tries to make it work and I still think Marie’s is better than mine but here is in print what I was given word of mouth. Enjoy.
INGREDIENTS: Bear with me on the explanations
1 lb link sausage (pork, beef, mixed or andouille all work but I prefer either mixed or andouille. Deer sausage is very good in this if it is not too lean)
1 lb hot links (hot links are a very spicy link sausage if you can’t find them use the hottest link sausage you can buy)
cut all your sausage into pieces, some people like ½” some like bigger so I’m not going to tell you how big to cut your sausage, I like mine 1/2” to ¾”
3 cups beef stock
2 onions diced
2 stalks celery
1 small green bell pepper
1 bunch green onions chopped
3 cloves garlic minced ( I use a garlic press)
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 can Rotel Tomatoes with green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes undrained
3 – 5 ½ oz cans Spicy Hot V8 juice
1 stick butter
2 tbsp sugar (I heap the spoons full of sugar so it is probably more like 3 or 3 ½, it cuts the bitterness)
Tony Chacheres Cajun Seasoning or your own brand to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a large cast iron pot at least 5 quarts and enameled cast iron works just fine, melt the butter and add the sausage.
Cook the sausage (but not the hot links) about 6-7 minutes then stir well to brown the other side. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic after stirring and cover for another 6-7 minutes.
Stir the pot, add the beef stock (vegetable stock or plain water works too) cover and cook on medium about 30 minutes. Check to make sure the liquid doesn’t all steam out and scrape the bottom of the pan a couple of times during this steaming process to help the gravy.
Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, V8 juice and sugar stirring well to mix. Now is when you add the hot links or hot sausages and chopped green onion. Most of the beef stock or whatever you used will be already gone but if not that’s OK since you will be simmering this for at least 30 minutes allowing the gravy to thicken. If you want a thicker gravy add more tomato paste, if you want a thinner gravy add more V8 juice or water. I like my gravy thinner than spaghetti sauce. This simmering may take up to an hour to get the consistency you like but don’t worry, the sausage is very forgiving and hard to overcook.
Make a big pot of long grain rice and have a loaf of French bread and butter.
If this comes out real hot a big glass of cold milk is best to cool the mouth.
If you don't like food all that hot mild the recipe down by substituting another can of diced tomato for the Rotel & green chilies. use tomato juice or plain V8 juice instead of the spicy V8 and if you must do not use hot sausage but that really kills the theme of this traditional Cajun dish.
Ce plat est magnificient - This dish is magnificent
