If you know me, you know I love those baby meatballs covered in a gooey red sauce folks sometimes serve up at potlucks. I could eat them all day long, knowing full well there’s likely nothing “good” about them. Well, I was in the mood for appetizers over the weekend, and thought I could make some up just for us to enjoy at home, minus the party.
I went to one of my favorite cookbooks, “Jacques Pepin: More Fast Food My Way.” It never disappoints. At first I wanted to try the fried caper recipe, but I couldn’t find the larger capers needed. (Not to worry, I’ve since ordered them online.) This led me to the next page, and the recipe for Glazed Sausage Bits. The ingredients and the recipe were very simple, and except for the pomegranate juice and the toothpicks, I had everything on hand. And I had to double the recipe, because I used a 14-ounce package of kielbasa. (I also added a little honey to the sauce, because Jacques wrote that you could add honey or maple syrup, and I didn’t have any good maple syrup.)
When I plated them up and put some toothpicks out, I barely had a chance to try them myself before they were all eaten. Some of us at my house may not have the most refined palates, but I have to say these were very tasty. And it felt like we were treating ourselves by eating an appetizer in the middle of a Saturday, just us. I highly recommend it, especially for those who find joy in the simpler things. My only regret is that I didn’t ask my husband to buy the colored toothpicks.
Glazed Sausage Bits
Combine 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 tablespoons ketchup, and a good two dashes of hot sauce in a medium skillet (I also added a tablespoon of raw honey). Bring to a boil and boil it down until it gets syrupy, about 15 minutes for me. Remove the skin from the kielbasa, and cut it into ½-inch-thick slices. Add the sausage slices to the sauce. Cook over high heat, turning the slices occasionally, until the mixture reduces almost completely and coats the sausage slices. Serve as is with toothpicks, or on top of Ritz crackers.
