Chunks of farmers sausage braised with peppers and peaches is an unexpected but delicious combination. And who doesn’t love a meal that’s made in one pot?
Braising is a method of cooking meat slowly in liquid without being totally submerged. It’s a great way to prepare this dish so the flavours combine without boiling the meat. If local peaches are in season, this is a great recipe to try. And it’s made easily on the stove top so you don’t have to heat up the kitchen on a hot summer day.
Farmers sausages are perfect for this recipe because they don’t have too much seasoning to overpower the peach flavour. If you can get some from a local butcher, all the better! I’m all about supporting local businesses. And butchers make the best sausages, don’t they? There’s no need to remove the casings. Slowly braising this dish all but dissolves them.
How to make Braised Sausage with Peaches
Lightly toast the fennel seed in a dry dutch oven. Just for a few minutes, watching carefully so they don’t get too dark. Toasting spices ensures the best flavours come through. Remove them to a plate so they don’t get over cooked while you sauté the veggies.
Add some olive oil to the pan and sauté the onion on medium-low until they are golden and soft. Add the sausage, turn the heat to medium and let them sear for a few minutes before adding the garlic. Garlic tends to burn easily so it’s best to add it close to the end. Add the rest of the veggies and the fennel seed and cook for a few minutes.
When the sausage has a bit of colour turn up the heat and add the chicken broth. Simmer, covered, on the stove top for about 30 minutes. You can also cook the dish in the oven for maybe an hour if you feel like heating up the kitchen.
Now, peel your peaches by pouring boiling water over them or plunging into boiling water for a minute and removing them to a cold water bath. Chop them into bite sized pieces. Add the corn starch to the orange juice and stir until it’s smooth. If you don’t use orange juice you can just use more chicken broth but the OJ adds a nice flavour to the dish. Add the peaches and juice to the sausage mixture and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Taste the sauce and add a little salt if it needs it, and some pepper. You may not need any salt at all, depending on the sausages and the sodium content in your broth.
Right before serving, stir in some fresh chopped parsley. Spoon over rice and garnish with some extra parsley and some fresh snipped chives.
If you make Braised Sausage with Peaches, consider leaving a comment or rating below! Here’s the recipe:
Braised Sausage with Peaches
Ingredients
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 medium onion
- 6 farmers sausages sliced into chunks
- 1½ cups chopped sweet peppers any colour or a variety
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 10-12 large mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3 medium peaches peeled and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 handful fresh chopped parsley
- fresh snipped chives
Instructions
- Heat dutch oven on stovetop and add fennel seeds to dry pot. Toast until slightly fragrant. Remove seeds to cool.
- Add olive oil to pot and add diced onion. Saute until golden.
- Add sausage rounds and sear on medium-high heat until they start to brown.
- Add garlic, chopped peppers, mushrooms and fennel seeds. Saute for a minute or two, just to start the cooking process.
- Increase heat and add chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. May also be cooked in an oven at 350° for about an hour.
- Meanwhile peel and chop peaches. Stir cornstarch into orange juice. Add to pot, cover and cook another 20-25 minutes until sauce is thickened and reduced.
- Stir in fresh chopped parsley before serving.
- Garnish with more parsley and fresh minced chives if desired.