Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Selecting a good quality sausage
• Part 2 of 3: Preparing the sausage properly
• Part 3 of 3: Combine smoked sausage with dishes
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

Kale stew, sauerkraut and pea soup are all delicious Dutch recipes in which one of the ingredients is indispensable: smoked sausage. Nothing beats this savory, slightly sour treat, with your dish or just straight from the handle. You will then have to find a good quality sausage and pay attention to the correct preparation.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Selecting a good quality sausage

1. Choose organic meat. You cannot argue about taste, but the sausage you choose must be of good quality, preferably organic and have that typical savory-sour taste of smoked sausage. Make sure you don't choose dry sausage or bratwurst, because although they can of course be very tasty, it is still something completely different and those sausages are more suitable for a chicken soup or vegetable soup. Frankfurter sausages are of course completely out of the question.
2. Try a few different sausages. You can get good quality smoked sausage at any well-stocked supermarket. There will be slight differences in taste and texture, so try a few to discover your favorite.
3. Note the color and diameter. A good smoked sausage is red in color and has a diameter of about 3 cm. The sausage always forms a "horseshoe", with both ends tied together with a string.
4. Pay attention to the ingredients. Preferably buy an organic smoked sausage. This is better for the environment and for your own health. In addition, organic meat contains no or less aromas, flavors, dyes and flavor enhancers.
5. Pay attention to the expiration date. Sausage has a longer shelf life compared to other meats, but still pay close attention and do not buy sausage that is past its expiration date.
6. Keep the smoked sausage refrigerated. Smoked sausage has a longer shelf life and is already partially cooked, but must be kept refrigerated. Opinions are divided whether smoked sausage becomes less tasty after being stored in the freezer, but if you eat it within a week, it is better to keep the sausage in the refrigerator and not in a freezer.

Part 2 of 3: Preparing the sausage properly

1. Remove the sausage from the packaging. Remove the sausage from the plastic packaging and dispose of it in the gray waste. Make sure to leave the string and seal at the ends of the sausage.
2. First prepare the rest of the dish. Whether you are making kale with sausage, sauerkraut or pea soup, make sure that the dish you eat the sausage with is completely prepared and only has to cook for a short time (20 minutes) before heating the sausage.
3. Heat the sausage, but don't cook it. Smoked sausage is already pre-cooked. However, to make it nice and warm and juicy, the sausage will have to be heated up. The package contains specific directions for the sausage you have purchased. In general, you will have to put the sausage in hot water for 15-20 minutes, but it should not be cooked. If it goes wrong, it can be recognized by the tearing of the sausage. It is still perfectly edible, but it can be a bit drier due to the fat running off. Do not let the sausage heat up for too long.
   • It is best to bring the water to a boil first, then turn off the heat and carefully lower the sausage into the hot water. You can also put the sausage in a pan of cold water and then heat the water until it is hot (starts to steam), without bringing it to the boil, after which you leave the water on the smallest burner.
4. Remove the sausage from the pan and slice it. When the sausage is ready, remove it from the hot water with a meat tong or fork. The string can be of great service to you. Be careful that the sausage does not fall back into the hot water and burn yourself.

Part 3 of 3: Combine smoked sausage with dishes

1. Reheat the sausage when you combine it with a dish. Make sure you have completely made the dish with which you want to eat the sausage. If you want to eat the smoked sausage with kale stew or stew, make this dish first and only heat the smoked sausage during the last 20 minutes of the preparation time of the dish. This ensures that the sausage is as juicy as possible, which you simply place on top of the dish in the pan.
   • First remove the metal ties and with that also the string of the smoked sausage. It is not supposed to end up on anyone's plate.
2. Slice the sausage when you put it in a soup. If the sausage goes into the soup (regardless of which one), you first cut it into slices, without heating the sausage. The advantage is that the smoked meat then gives off its delicious taste to the soup during cooking. The disadvantage may be that the meat becomes slightly less juicy. Then start from your own preference.
3. Cut the sausage into large pieces for in or with a sandwich. If you want to eat the smoked sausage with a sandwich, preheat it first as described earlier in this article. Cut it into large pieces and, if necessary, in half lengthwise, to put it on a bun or baguette.

Tips

• If you have not kept track of the time, you can in many cases also see whether a smoked sausage is ready by paying attention to whether the sausage will float. If so, the smoked sausage is probably hot enough.

Warnings

• If you accidentally poke the heated sausage, hot fat under pressure can spurt out and burn you.

Necessities

• Smoked sausage
• Pan
• Water
• Stove
• Potholder or oven mitts
• Meat tongs (optional)
• Serrated or very sharp blade
• Flat plate for cutting