According to Melissa Clark, “Sausages have no season… They are as good served with potatoes and cabbage in the dead of winter as they are grilled in the summer, with ripe tomatoes and basil on the side.” With that in mind, she presents a savory rhubarb and sausage recipe in her latest book, Dinner: Changing the Game. It’s a rather simple preparation that nicely dresses up pan-seared, no-season sweet Italian sausage with the springtime darlings Swiss chard and rhubarb. She continues the unexpected combination with ginger, currants, and a touch of warm curry spice in the form of garam masala. The result is a bracing, chutney flavored jumble of greens that cuts through the porky richness of sausage.
Savory Rhubarb
Sweet and savory. I love the way this recipe flips those expectations on their heads. First, there’s pork sausage sweetened by a little fennel seed. And then there’s rhubarb. Which is typically seen sweetly paired with another seasonal favorite – strawberries. Most folks, this cook included, associate rhubarb with dessert favorites such as pies, crumbles, and cakes. These sweets are so beloved that it’s easy to forget that rhubarb stalks are actually vegetables.
Vegetables so savory that they’re sour.
Clark recommends serving this savory rhubarb dish with a side of grains such as polenta, barley, or quinoa. I chose crispy little polenta cakes. GREG
I was sent a review copy of Dinner: Changing The Game by Melissa Clark. You can find my review here. Now I’m just cooking from this book because I wanna.
Seared Sausage and Rhubarb with Swiss Chard
Print This Recipe Yield 4Source Dinner: Changing the Game by Melissa ClarkPublished
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausages (pricked with a fork)
- 1 red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 bunch bunch green, red, or rainbow Swiss chard (stems cut into ¼‑inch slices, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces)
- ½ pound rhubarb stems (cut into ¼–inch slices)
- 2 tablespoon dried currants
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (1‑inch) piece fresh ginger (peeled and grated)
- 1 bay leaf
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a 12–inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until cooked through and well browned all over. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Stir in the chard stems and continue to cook until the onion is well browned and chard stems are almost tender. Add the rhubarb, currants, maple syrup, garam masala, salt, ginger, and bay leaf to the skillet. Cook, stirring often until the rhubarb has fallen apart and the chard stems are tender. If the bottom of the pan begins to scorch, stir in some water, a few tablespoons at a time.
Toss in the chard leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until they are wilted. Transfer the chard mixture to a heated serving platter and pluck out the bay leaf.
Return the sausages to the skillet and let them heat through, shaking the pan so they crisp on all sides. Serve the sausage over the rhubarb-chard mixture.
I’d never have thought of that pairing, but it looks marvelous. I love the colors. I’m a huge fan of sausage, so I can definitely see myself getting into this.
What a lovely brunch recipe, I can see a poached or fried egg along side this colourful dish. I love that you choose the swiss chard with the bright pink stems, it works so well with the rhubarb. I can see how the astringent nature of the rhubarb would cut right through the rich Italian sausage, beautiful in its simplicity.
I am always looking for savory rhubarb recipes and this one is a keeper.
I love sausages and I am a real rhubarb fan, what an interesting combination of spices and veggies. It sounds great.
I love rhubarb in savory combinations, and just wish it had a longer season! I really have to look at he book — I keep hearing good things about it.
This sounds really good. I do a lot with sausage and veggies sometimes adding fruit, but never would have considered rhubarb. I have a lovely, big plant that comes back every summer, so I’m looking forward to adding this recipe!
WOW!!! This looks superb! I’ve never met a sausage I didn’t like. From around the world!
There are so many good vibes from this book. Add it to my list. I do love sausages and I do agree. So glad you do too!