Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Spicy Chicken Sausage Tart-lets w/ Quick Blueberry Compote

I took blueberries to the wild side yesterday, by combining them with non typical ingredients to create an extraordinary appetizer for entertaining.  I know you're probably thinking  "Blueberries and Chicken Sausage, Ewww!", but surprisingly enough, the ingredients complement each other's flavor profiles rather well.  The main ingredient is a gourmet and organic chicken sausage by Aidell's, that I happened across in the supermarket.  They were quite expensive at $6 for 12 oz., so I wanted to make the most of the protein, and prepare it in a manner which many can enjoy the small amount.  The sausage is flecked with mango, jalapeno and cilantro, so I wanted to match the sweet/spicy interior with a sauce or glaze-like element to bring out components without being sickly sweet to unappetizing.  Wild Blueberries are not really sweet Per Se, so I could manipulate them with a few ingredients to give them directional purpose, that is complementing the mango in the sausage and creating the idea of a blueberry filling that would be consistent with a savory tart, even though it would appear to be a sweet one. I actually added Agave nectar to impart a subtle sweetness and to offset the spicy aspect of the jalapeno, making it kid-friendly.  I received positive reviews even from my 4 year old, and the adults enjoyed the outcome a well.  This recipe was fun to prepare and is a great way to get the conversation going at your next get together!
1 roll out pie crust
9 oz. Aidell's organic chicken sausage w/mango, jalapeno and cilantro, cut into 24 pieces
1/3 c. wild blueberries, if frozen, thawed
2 tsp. Agave nectar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar
SPST
olive oil for drizzling
Preheat oven to 400* F.
Unroll pie crust and using a cutout the same size as the diameter of a shot glass, make 24 circles to press into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
Bake until golden, about 4 minutes, remove from pan to cool.
Meanwhile, in a small saute or non stick pan over medium high heat,
drizzle pan with olive oil and add sausage pieces.  Brown on both sides, until golden, about 3 minutes. SPST.
While sausage is browning combine blueberries with remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.
Pour over sausages once browned and bring to boil, tossing to coat.  Once sauce has thickened, remove from heat., about 15 seconds.
Assembly:  Nestle a sausage bite into each tart-let shell and distribute the blueberry compote equally among portions. Garnish with parsley or cilantro.
Makes 24.

I want to give a huge HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BABY GIRL BRONWYN, WHO TURNED 5 TODAY!!  MOMMY, GENESIS AND THE WHOLE FAMILY LOVES YOU BABE!



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