Grilled Chicken Truffle Sausage & Spicy Shrimp Kabobs

DSC08663

PSABO005-1_VA0_SQ

Photo by: D’Artagnan, LLC

I love finding interesting new products in the market place. I have discovered D’Artagnan Chicken Truffle Sausage and I am in Heaven. It is so easy to enjoy these luxurious sausages which combine a base of wonderfully moist chicken with the full-bodied taste and aroma of black truffles. All you have to do is heat and serve.

In this quick and easy kabob recipe, each juicy shrimp hugs a chunk of  Chicken and Black Truffle Sausage The kabobs were also brushed with a herbal, spicy seasoned oil for an extra punch of flavor.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound 16-20 count  large shrimp, deveined and shelled (tail on)
One 9-ounce package of  D’Artagnan Chicken Truffle  Sausage, cut into 1 inch slices
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh marjoram
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
A pinch of cayenne

Directions:
Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before starting. Heat a gas grill to high or heat coals in a charcoal grill until they glow bright orange and ash over.

While grill is heating, wrap shrimp around the sausage slices and thread onto bamboo skewers. In a small bowl, stir together oil, thyme, marjoram, garlic,black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, paprika and cayenne. Brush seasoning mixture onto skewers.

Place skewers on the grill and cook until sausage is slightly charred and shrimp are cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Continue to brush with seasoned oil while cooking.

Serve with your favorite grilling side dishes, or over soft polenta.

Poulet Grillé au Gingembre (Grilled Chicken with Ginger)

Thyme, bay leaf, and garlic add aromatic flourish to this simple yet elegant grilled chicken recipe, which was adapted from Craig Claiborne and Pierre Franey, from “The Essential New York Times Grilling Cookbook” (Sterling Epicure, 2014).

What makes this chicken special is an abundance of lemon juice as it mingles with the bristling taste of ginger to tenderize the chicken, while a final drizzle of butter adds golden richness.

DSC03209 PREP TIME: 10 minutes, plus 2-4 hours marinating (or Overnight)
COOKING TIME: 1 Hour and 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME:   1 Hour and 45 Minutes, plus marinating
SERVES 2-4

Ingredients:
1 (2½–3-lbs.) chicken, halved, backbone removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (1″) piece ginger, peeled and minced
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preparation:
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Stir lemon juice, oil, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and ginger in a bowl; add chicken and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 to 4 hours, or overnight for the best flavor.

 
2. Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high.)Grill chicken, turning as needed, until slightly charred and cooked through, about 35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of a thigh reads 165°F.

 
3. If grilling is not an option, the chicken can be roasted in the oven.  Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. Place the chicken in a cast iron skillet bone side down. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, baste with melted butter, periodically. Reduce the heat to 325°F, remove the foil and baste with melted butter. Continue to roast the chicken for another 25 minutes, until skin is golden brown and crisp.

 
4. To serve,transfer the chicken to a serving platter and drizzle with melted butter.

Grilled Swiss Cheese and French Onion Sandwich

Image

Grilled Swiss Cheese and French Onion Sandwich

Sometimes, you might have a taste for a soup and a sandwich for a light lunch or dinner. Here is a recipe that combines both!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
For the onions:
1/2 pound yellow onions, sliced
1/2 pound red onions, sliced
3 Tablespoons butter
Kosher Salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon turbino sugar
A Pinch of fresh thyme
1/4 cup red wine (or beef or chicken or vegetable broth can be substituted)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

For the grilled cheese:
8 slices Swiss cheese, cut in the thin strips
8 slices bakery fresh French bread or sourdough bread
1-2 tablespoons butter

8-12 Sprigs fresh thyme for garnish

Instructions:
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Butter  the outside of the  pieces of bread. Top each slice  of bread with a mound of cheese and caramelized onions.  Place sandwich in the skillet and brown both sides of the sandwich  until golden, for about 2-3 minuted. Slice the sandwich in half  on the diagonal and garnish with 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Yields 4 Sandwiches