Skewers of Sage Chicken with Sweet Italian Sausage

Recipe from Mr. Sunday’s Saturday Night Chicken by Lorraine Wallace

Photo credit: Alexandra Grablewski

Author Lorraine Wallace, on  Skewers of Sage Chicken with Sweet Italian Sausage:

This is one of my Father’s Day favorites to serve to honor Chris! The rustic sausage and savory sage makes this a meat lover’s meal. Think of this dish as a night out at a Brazilian steak house. Note: The fragrant rosemary-garlic oil is also delicious as a dipping oil for Italian bread. Or try rubbing it on slices of bread prior to grilling.

Cooks&Books&Recipes Editors:

Sage and rosemary are my two favorite herbs. Though that may be partly due to the fact that they are insanely easy to grow and harvest, meaning that we always have some year-round in our container garden, I also like them because they are strongly aromatic. Their pungency holds up particularly well when used with grilled meats and poultry. So when I saw this recipe in Lorraine Wallace’s latest cookbook, I knew immediately that it was the one I would try first. The prep and cooking were both easy, making this the perfect meal for us to cook outside on a weekend night while enjoying a before-dinner glass of pinot gris (picked up during our recent wine trip to Oregon). The result was as good as hoped. Our two changes: we used chicken breasts instead of thighs and removed the skewers from the direct heat and cooked them longer (both changes made for personal tastes). I recommend following the author’s advice on the rosemary-garlic oil: we brushed some on sourdough bread slices, which we popped on the grill when the skewers were almost ready. Throw together a quick radicchio and endive salad topped with roasted pine nuts, and there’s your Saturday night!

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Skewers of Sage Chicken with Sweet Italian Sausage

Featured Recipe From: Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

For the Rosemary-Garlic Oil

• 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

For the Skewers

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut in half
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons Rosemary-Garlic Oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds sweet Italian sausages, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 24 large fresh sage leaves
• Six 12-inch metal skewers

Directions:

To make the rosemary-garlic oil:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Set aside.
2. Up to a day ahead or 4 hours prior to cooking, rinse the chicken thighs in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the rosemary-garlic oil and the chopped rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
3. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (350°F 450°F). Place the 1/2 cup of rosemary-garlic oil in a small dish for brushing the skewers while grilling. Thread 3 pieces of the sausage, chicken, and sage leaves alternately on the metal skewers. Grill the skewers, covered, until one side is browned and has nice grill marks, about 4 minutes. Brush with the rosemary-garlic oil, flip, and cook until the other side is cooked, about 4 minutes more.
4. Continue to cook, turning and brushing with the oil, until the sausage and chicken are both cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for a couple of minutes. To serve, arrange the skewers on a large platter and drizzle with the remaining rosemary-garlic oil.

© 2012 Lorraine Wallace

Reprinted with permission from Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken, by Lorraine Wallace (John Wiley & Sons)

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