Bratwurst with Creamy Apple Compote

By Kate Steadman

24 hours of overindulgence: it started with whiskey and ended with Farmer’s Market bratwursts simmering in butter, apples and wine.

Three comments:

1) You don’t need Farmer’s Market/locally raised meat. Even Safeway bratwurst will suffice.

2) However, if you do the former, please boil your sausages THEN brown them. Yours truly did not do this, which was unwise indeed.

3) Make this. Make it soon. It’s too easy and too good. Impress somebody with it.

(note, the finished product doesn’t photograph as awesomely as it tastes)

Bratwurst with Creamy Apple Compote
Adapted via Epicurious, from Gourmet.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 white or yellow onion, sliced
• 2 apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges (sour apples are always best for cooking, but as you should make this now, it’s ok to use a different kind)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 precooked bratwurst
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup whole milk, half and half or heavy cream (I used half and half, and it was more than creamy enough)
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

If your sausages are precooked, brown them in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. You can split them if you like for more attractive appearance, but this is unnecessary. If they are NOT precooked, boil then brown them.

Remove the sausages from the pan along with any bits that are too burned to continue cooking. Let the pan cool for a couple minutes if it will be too hot and end up burning the butter. Add the butter and oil until foaming, then cook onion and apples with bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, stirring once or twice, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. The apples taste better the more you get them to caramelize.

Add wine to apple mixture, then simmer, covered, until apples are tender, 5 minutes. Remove lid and briskly simmer until liquid is reduced by one third, about 3 minutes.

Stir cream, vinegar, and brown sugar into apple mixture and briskly simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Return the sausages to the pan to reheat; enjoy.