Kielbase in apple,onion and beer gravy
Look for fresh kielbase, labeled gluten free, in NE Market Basket stores. Definitely garlicky, salt quantity differs, but leaches out when you cook it in water to start. I'll buy it, cook it and cut off pieces.
This recipe was one of my Lithuanian recipes so it was originally written using regular beer not gluten free. Locally I can only buy Budweiser’s Redbridge gluten free beer, Bard’s gluten free beer, or Daura Spanish gluten free (gluten removed) European style lager. Budweiser Merrimack, NH, is where Redbridge is made. I was given a gift of 2 x 6 pack of Redbridge from the brewery. They do special production runs of Redbridge and then thoroughly clean the lines. My son happily drinks Redbridge. I don’t care to drink Redbridge or Bard’s, because to me they taste like a dark ale when I like European style lager beers like the GF Daura. Both Redbridge and Bard’s work for me in cooking. I will also cook this with 'hard' apple cider - normally Woodchuck Amber brand, labeled gf. Note that some manufacturers are now fermenting hard cider with barley (obviously not gf) which was never ever used in original hard cider.
One of my July 2011 recipes for National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, now Beyond Celiac.
2 lbs ( 1kg) fresh or smoked kielbasa. You have to check that it is gluten free, as meat products don’t have to state this. I really don’t like mass produced supermarket Kielbasa. But my local grocery store sells raw kielbase, nicely garlicky, labeled gluten free. Plenty of it in October or for Easter, very little rest of year. Once you have tried good butcher shop kielbasa it is very difficult to go back to the mass-produced kielbasa. Either leave sausages in large pieces or cut into small chunks for side dish or appetizer. In small chunks they really absorb the flavor of apples, onions and beer. It is easy to make homemade kielbasa and also to smoke it in your smoker.
2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter or oil
1 x 12 oz bottle(375 ml) Redbridge, Bard’s beer or whatever gluten free beer is available to you. Each beer will give a different taste, as will different kielbasa. Or hard apple cider - my favorite.
2 tsp (10 ml) light brown sugar
1 medium sized onion, peeled, sliced and separated into rings, or finely chopped if you are cutting sausage small for an appetizer.
1 small granny smith apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced, or finely chopped if you are cutting sausage small for an appetizer.
salt and pepper to taste
1. Put fresh raw sausages in a skillet, cover with water, bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and put sausages on a plate. If you use smoked kielbasa, just put them in the skillet with apples and onions as in #3.
2. In same skillet, melt butter/oil, add onions and gently fry for 5 minutes until browning. Add apple, and fry for further 5 minutes until softening. Frying the onion until gold and adding sugar counteracts the bitterness of any beer in cooking.
3. Add sausages and turn in pan.
4. Add beer, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to nearly a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook covered for about 30 minutes until cooked through. Length of cooking time will depend on size of pan, quantity being cooked and how gentle a simmer you can reach, as well as how well lid fits on pan. Watch that the liquid doesn’t evaporate.
I like to cook this the day before for the flavor really to develop. Then put it in a slow cooker, refrigerate and then reheat the next day in the slow cooker. You can also put it on the side of the barbecue to reheat in a foil pan. It’s also great to serve some plain bread to soak up the juices while you eat.
