If you’ve never had
the great pleasure of visiting The View from
Great Island blog, then you need to pop right over and do so. Go ahead, I’ll
wait.
It’s marvelous, isn’t it? It is also a wonderful source of unique and
delicious recipes. The other day as I was unpacking the bags and bags of
groceries that Mr. O-P tends to buy twice weekly, I spotted a package of brats
(short for bratwurst, not referring to annoying kids), and sighed as I wondered
just what I was going to do with them. Sure, I’ve cooked them in onions and
beer again and again (and again), but that was getting a little old. Then, as
luck would have it, Sue posted this recipe.
I loved the idea of using the slow
cooker and simmering them in cider, so I gave this recipe a try and the four of
us dining all enjoyed it. I only had four brats and two cups of apple cider, so
used a mid-sized (3-quart) crockpot, and it worked quite well. I also didn’t
have white peppercorns, so used black peppercorns. Again, this was fine. You can read more about this and see
Sue’s tutorial on her website. Here is
my adapted version of her yummy recipe.
Cider Brats with Apple Onion Relish
Slightly adapted
from The
View from Great Island
4 bratwurst
sausages, with buns
Olive oil for
brushing
2 cups apple cider
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. black
peppercorns
Mustard
Apple Onion Relish
1/2 sweet yellow
onion
1 medium apple (I
used a Granny Smith)
3-4 Tbsp. cider
vinegar
1 tsp. yellow
mustard seeds
Heat a grill pan
over medium high heat until quite hot. Brush the bratwurst with olive oil and
place on the grill. Gently poke the sausages in several places with the tip of a
sharp knife (I used the tines of a pickle fork) to vent. Grill for about 10 minutes total time, turning the
sausages to brown on all sides. (I used a Griddler® with a lid that
closes, so only grilled for five minutes as both sides cook at once.)
Pour the cider into
a slow cooker and set on low. Put the browned sausages into the slow cooker,
along with the bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover and cook for 2 hours. At this
point you can turn the slow cooker down to the warm setting to keep the brats
ready and waiting for hours.
To make the relish,
toast the mustard seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until they start to pop.
Remove from the heat and set aside. Peel and mince the onion. You should have
about 1 cup. Add it to a small bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of vinegar.
Peel and mince the apple and add to the bowl, tossing well to coat all of the
apple with the vinegar so it doesn't turn brown. Add the mustard seeds and
toss. Add another bit of vinegar if needed to moisten the relish.
Cover and refrigerate
the relish until ready to eat.
To serve, place a
brat in a bun, slather with your favorite mustard, and load it up with the
apple onion relish.
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