Tonight's Dinner: Creamy polenta with sausages and roasted grapes recipe

Sausage is a delicious protein. It doesn't matter if you grill it and stick it in a bun with mustard or chop it up, fry it and serve it with eggs. No matter how you choose to eat your sausage, it's always a delicious, savory option. But when you roast sausage with your favorite fruit, you not only get a sweet side dish, you also get a sweeter protein.

This is where it gets difficult, though. What kind of fruit should you use? While peaches and plums are a scrumptious choice for roasting and grilling, seedless grapes are also good and a slightly more unusual choice this time of year. That's because the juice that escapes when they're cooked combines with the juice of the sausages to create an awesome sauce that blends perfectly with the polenta.

Creamy polenta with sausages and roasted grapes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme, divided
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 pound red seedless grapes, cut into bunches
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dry white wine, like chardonnay

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the polenta, one teaspoon of thyme and two-and-one-half cups of water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with a plate and microwave for four minutes. Carefully remove the plate and whisk the polenta. Cover and microwave for another four minutes. Repeat until the polenta is thick and creamy, about 12 minutes. Stir in the butter, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. While the polenta cooks, heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and fry until browned, about four minutes. Add the broth, remaining thyme, grapes and shallots and place in the oven. Roast until the grapes begin to carmelize and the sausages are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Spoon the polenta into shallow bowls and place the sauasages and grapes on top.
5. Deglaze the pan with wine, drizzle the sauce over the sausages and serve.

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