Garlic mustard season is in full swing in the Highlands and I still haven’t found a disposal strategy that will make the slightest dent in the mountains of the noxious stuff (six contractor bags full this week alone) pulled from the woodland understory surrounding my humble ornamental shade garden.
Nor have I solved the recipe conundrum: Invasive weed or not, its name holds such culinary promise.Â
After hours of dodging shad flies and bending over to pull the perennial by its roots, to the detriment of my back, the last thing I want to do is cook — in particular, anything that includes garlic mustard.
I needed something quick, flavorful and hot, and this one-dish sheet-pan meal remembered from a G. Daniela Galarza recipe seemed like the place to start.
In the basic version, chopped lacinato kale is massaged with a light vinaigrette, which serves as a bed for sliced pears (red or white, ripe or hard — it doesn’t matter). The pears roast, along with everything else, at a relatively high temperature, softening and caramelizing, and serving as a base for sweet sausage that browns on top. It’s a combination that offers all the nutrition and flavor you could expect or want in a recipe so easy.
I made a modification to accentuate the recipe’s strengths: thin-sliced red onions tossed and roasted with the vinaigrette-soaked kale. The dressing is sweetened by soaking golden raisins in white wine vinegar, along with a couple of cloves of smashed garlic, which are discarded but add a subtle funk. Coarse-ground mustard adds a zippy tang and texture and, come to think of it, along with the garlic-infused vinegar is a backhanded homage to the seasonal pest.
Drained and reserved, the raisins are scattered over the kale-onion mixture and vinaigrette is drizzled over both the pears and sausage throughout the roasting. For the last 5 minutes of cooking, a handful of chopped walnuts add a satisfying crunch. Galarza suggests shaving Parmigiano over the served plates.
Although I am partial to pork, chicken or turkey sausage with sweet Italian seasoning, or even plant-based versions (the Beyond brand has one), are acceptable substitutes, although the roasting time may need adjustment.
Pan-Roasted Sausage, Kale & PearsÂ
Serves 3 to 4
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for the pan)
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped, thick stems removed
- 2 pears, any variety, firm or ripe, sliced
- ½ red onion, sliced thin
- 1 pound sweet Italian-style sausage links (pork, chicken, plant-based)
- â…“ cup walnut pieces, roughly chopped
- Optional: shaved Parmigiano for serving
1. In a small nonreactive bowl, combine the raisins, garlic and vinegar for 30 minutes. Discard the garlic and strain the vinegar into a measuring cup, reserving the raisins in a small bowl. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and grease a sheet pan with a little olive oil.
2. Make a vinaigrette from the reserved vinegar, olive oil and mustard. Whisk all together with a pinch of salt and healthy grind of black pepper. Toss the kale and red onion and gently massage about â…“ cup of the dressing into the kale and onions. Add the reserved raisins and toss. Spread the kale/onion mixture evenly on the baking sheet.
3. Scatter the sliced pears over the kale and onions and drizzle a little of the vinaigrette over them. Lay the sausages on top. Drizzle all with a bit more of the vinaigrette.
4. Roast for 15 minutes. Rotate the pan and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove the pan and scatter walnuts over all. Return pan to the oven for 5 minutes (for a total cooking time of about 30 minutes). Serve warm with the remaining vinaigrette, if any, and the shaved Parmigiano cheese if using.
