Sausages with grape sauce

This recipe is wonderful for an intimate dinner deux, but it’s equally appropriate for parties – just cut the cooked sausages into bite-sized pieces. It’s much more sophisticated – and much more delicious – than that tired old party standby of mini-wieners in grape jelly. The Intercourses recipe calls for Italian sausages; I prefer good bratwurst-type sausages.

“Once David quit making jokes about the sausage links and started tasting them instead, the evening turned around in my favor. I was at the stove and had just finished adding the grapes to the sauce. I dipped my finger in it for a taste test to adjust the seasonings, but he stopped my hand mid-route to my mouth. When he took it on a detour to his mouth, I knew it was going to be a good evening.” Susan and David, Anaheim, CA

• 4 links Italian sausage or other good-quality, freshly made sausage (about 3/4 lb.)
• 1 T. olive oil if needed
• 1 shallot, minced (2 – 3 T.)
• 1 c. dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 c. seedless grapes, halved
• 1 1/2 T. minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 200. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage links, browning on all sides. Pour a cup of water into the skillet, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits. Cover and cook until the water has evaporated and the sausages are cooked through.

Place the sausages in the oven to keep warm, reserving up to 1 T. oil from the sausages in the skillet. If no oil remains, add the olive oil and sauté the shallot over medium heat until translucent and soft. Stir in the wine, bring to a boil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium-low, whisk in the mustard, and stir in the grapes. To serve, spoon the sauce over the links and garnish with parsley.
Adapted from Intercourses. Used with permission.