SCA Recipie of the Day: Sausage and Apples with Onions

This is a dish from 14th century Germany, gathered form a collection of camp cook recipes by the wonderful kingdom of Drachenwald (this collection of recipes and more can be found at http://www.drachenwald.sca.org/index_new.php )

The original translation follows as such:

Wildu ein gemacht wurst machen, so henk di wurst in ein rauch und brat si
dann und mach dann ein ziseindel dar uber mit zwifeln oder mit opfeln etc.

The redaction and translation provided by the chef is as follows:

If you wish to make a made sausage, hang it in the smoke and then roast it and add a sauce of
apples or onions etc.

4-6 bratwurst sausages
2-3 apples
2-3 onions
butter or oil for frying
salt
pepper
If you like smoky flavour, you can suspend the sausages over the fire for a while before you prepare
them. Peel, core and dice the apples, peel and dice the onions. Fry the sausages in a pan. Once they
are browned, add the apples and onions and cook the whole till they soften and the sausages are
done. Season to taste – salt and pepper only are fine.

* * * * *

I am sadly not cooking over an open fire (yet) so I will be adding a touch of liquid smoke to try and emulate the flavor. I'll also be reducing the recipe for one person, so only 1 sausage and less on the onions and apples.

By the by, I find I remember how much I HATE peeling vegetables and fruit during this. Alas. The sausage is browning nicely and a wonderful smell is drifting through the kitchen of cooking meat. I added the apples and onions and turned it down a touch, I added a pinch of cinnamon on impulse so we'll hope it goes well over with the whole dish! I went ahead and chopped the sausage up halfway through the cooking process, it seemed to make sense to me that that's how they would serve such a dish so I did an early cut to increase saturation of the juice and flavors into the meat.

OK, meal is off the stove-top and boy-oh-boy does it look yummy. I like my sausage a little blackened so I cooked mine a touch longer than you normally would, but man does it smell heavenly.

...

OK, wow. Like...this is amazing. The apple/cinnamon/onion combo blends so well with the smoked flavors and salt/pepper of the sausage. Its like a party in my mouth, and everyone's invited! The onion and apple are soft and smooth and glide down the throat with the cooked meat, mixing perfectly with the whole dish. This...oh fuck I need to make this more often!

Seeing as mustard was a pretty standard German/period condiment I went ahead and added a bit of the only kind I have in the house (spicy brown, for those curious). I do say the mustard compliments this dish amazingly well, but the spiciness of the mustard distracted from the rich flavor off the apples and onions. Maybe a honey mustard or a standard brown would go better with this, but I would recommend against the spicy brown as it takes away from the flavors already added.

The only drawback I see with this is I will have an abundance of the onion/apple sauce left over after the meat is consumed. I'm told that traditionally that would be saved for other dishes to use as a baster or a marinade, and I believe it! A definite A+ from me folks, do try this one at home whenever you get a chance.