You can vary this recipe depending on the type of sausage and ale you choose. Kielbasa is a garlicky, fully-cooked Polish sausage that is available made with pork or beef, but a combination of the two is the tastiest. Mashed potatoes are the perfect side.
Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma.com
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds cooked sausages, such as kielbasa, sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ale
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- FOR MASHED POTATOES: 5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more, to taste
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/4 cups half-and-half, heated
- Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Preparation
- 1 In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausages and cook, stirring and turning often, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- 2 Add the onion and bell pepper to the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and sauté until tender and golden, about 5 minutes.
- 3 Add the flour and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the ale and cider until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Add the thyme and broth, whisking to blend, and bring to a simmer.
- 4 Return the sausages to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the flavors are blended, about 15 minutes.
- 5 Uncover and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- 6 Divide the sausages and sauce among warmed plates and serve immediately with mashed potatoes alongside.
- 7 CLASSIC MASHED POTATOES:Put the potatoes and the 2 teaspoons salt in a large pot, add water to cover the potatoes by 3 inches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- 8 Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the potatoes until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well in a colander.
- 9 Set a potato ricer over the pot and pass the potatoes through in batches. Alternatively, return the potatoes to the pot and mash them with a potato masher.
- 10 Add the butter and gradually add the half-and-half, beating constantly with a large spoon, until the potatoes are smooth and creamy.
- 11 Season with salt and white pepper and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Serve immediately.
