BRATWURST IN ABITA

Preparation Time: 1 ½ Hours
Yield: 4 servings

Comment: Recipe from David Hubbell.

Ingredients:
4 pairs Bratwurst (about 1½ pounds)
Boiling water to cover
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of marjoram
Pinch of caraway seed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small bay leaf
2 to 3 cups Abita Amber or a light beer  (a non-bitter beer works best) or enough to cover Bratwurst
1 tablespoon butter
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
4 heaping tablespoon or a small minced onion
2 tablespoons flour
¼ tsp salt (or to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Sugar (optional and to taste)

Method
Prick Bratwurst on all sides with a fork. In a large skillet with a cover add enough boiling water to cover Bratwursts. Add a pinch of each of the following to the boiling water: nutmeg, marjoram, and caraway seed. Place the Bratwurst into the water. Cover skillet and simmer 5 minutes. Drain off water. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil to skillet and brown Bratwurst quickly on all sides (approximately 5 minutes); be sure not to burn butter. Add bay leaf and enough Abita to cover sausages. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes. Remove cover and let Abita boil rapidly until it is reduced by almost half (about 7-10 minutes). Reduce heat, cover and simmer.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter and add 1.5 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet and sauté minced onion until golden brown. Blend in flour and sauté slowly until mixture is the color of cocoa roux. Add to the simmering Abita and stir in until smoothly blended and thickened. Season (to taste) with salt and pepper and lemon juice. Add sugar if you like a sweet-sour flavor.
Bratwurst and sauce can be served over buttered egg noodles or a good German Spätzle. Or split a German Brötchen, spread with a hearty German mustard, and place Bratwurst in between and spoon sauce over for a sloppy Bratwurst “poboy”. Sprinkled parmesan works well over the both of these.

Adapted from © 1965, 1993 Mimi Sheraton’s Bratwurst in Ale from The German Cookbook.