Saucisses au Vin Blanc

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •12-inch / 30 cm ovenproof sauté pan with lid
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Small whisk
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Fry the croûtes

   Heat the oven to 325°F / 165°C. Melt 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of the butter in a large ovenproof sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the croûtes in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until deep gold and crisp through their thin centres. Lower the heat if the butter colours faster than the bread. Transfer them to a wire rack and wipe loose crumbs from the pan. The bread is not decoration; it must be crisp enough to catch the sauce without immediately collapsing.

2. 2

   Poach the sausages

   Coat the cleaned sauté pan generously with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of butter. Arrange the sausages in one layer and roll them through the butter, then cover the pan and set it in the oven. Poach gently for 18 to 24 minutes, turning once, until the casings are lightly golden and the centres reach 160°F / 71°C. Do not prick them. If a casing begins to split, lower the oven heat and turn the split upward; the juices stay in the pan and still belong to the sauce.

   This is a gentle butter poach, not hard browning. Fierce heat tightens the casing before the centre cooks and sends the sausage juices into the pan too soon.
3. 3

   Set the platter

   Arrange the croûtes on a warm serving platter. Lift the sausages from the pan and set one on each croûte. Leave them uncovered while you make the sauce, which takes only a few minutes; tight covering traps moisture and softens the bread.

4. 4

   Reduce the wine

   Set the sausage pan over medium-high heat and add the white wine, scraping and swirling until every buttery meat juice releases from the pan. Boil until the wine is reduced by half, from ¼ cup to about 2 tablespoons, and its sharp alcoholic smell has softened. Only then add the prepared demi-glace. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce nappes, or coats, the back of a spoon. If it turns sticky or salty because it reduced too far, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of water and simmer briefly until it flows again.

5. 5

   Mount and serve

   Take the pan completely off the heat and wait about 20 seconds. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of cold butter a few pieces at a time, swirling or whisking until each addition disappears before the next. This montage au beurre, finishing the sauce with cold butter, gives it body and gloss without heaviness. If the sauce separates into greasy beads, stop adding butter. Ça se rattrape: whisk in 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of cold water until the sauce smooths, then work in the remaining butter slowly. Do not boil it again. Pour the sauce over the sausages and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose plain fresh pork sausages with natural casings and a coarse, juicy filling. Strong smoke, sweetness, or fennel would overpower a sauce built from so little; the sausage should taste of pork first.
• •Measure prepared demi-glace, not concentrated paste. If using a commercial concentrate, dilute it according to its directions until it has the consistency of a finished sauce, then measure the required ¼ cup.
• •Use a dry white wine with clean acidity and little oak. Reduction magnifies everything in the bottle, including sweetness and harsh wood, so cook with the wine you will be happy to drink beside the sausages.
• •The source gives two distinct finishes. This recipe follows the first method, demi-glace and butter. Egg yolk, lemon, and pale meat glaze belong to its second method and should not wander into this pan.

Advance Preparation

• •The croûtes may be fried up to 2 hours ahead and held uncovered on a rack. Warm them for 3 to 4 minutes in the oven before arranging the sausages.
• •The prepared demi-glace may be measured a day ahead and kept cold. Dice and chill the finishing butter at the same time, but reduce and mount the sauce only when the sausages are ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)