The other day I went to Fleishers Butchery in Brooklyn to pick up some meat for a taste test. While I was there I couldn't resist buying the amazing-looking sage breakfast sausages they had in the counter.
Since buying the sausage was a last-minute decision I had to make do with what was in my refrigerator at the time. I had some shredded vegetables I could use for a mustardy coleslaw and a head of cauliflower I had been wanting to try out a sriracha glaze on. I got the idea for the honey-sriracha glaze from Nimbooda, an Indian restaurant near me that has an amazing Gobi Manchurian appetizer I'm addicted to.
I like my sous vide sausage cooked at 140°F (60°C) for 2 to 3 hours, until pasteurized, though anywhere between 135°F (57.2°C) and 145°F (62.7°C) is pretty common. Sausages are best when finished on the grill but a pan will also work ok. You definitely need to a get a decent sear on them or the casings can be chewy. For this recipe I used sage breakfast sausage, but any pork or chicken sausage would work in well with this dish.
The cook time on the cauliflower will depend a lot on the size of the head. With the type of produce a market normally carries, I've found it is usually done in 30 to 60 minutes. You may also need more glaze if they are large cauliflowers. Go ahead and alter the ratios of the honey and sriracha to make it as sweet or spicy as you like. This also works well with other chile pastes such as harissa, sambal oelek, or even something like Gochujang for a different take.
For the coleslaw, feel free to use a bag of pre-shredded slaw, it can save you some time, especially for an easy weeknight meal! I try to get the sauce to coat the slaw enough to flavor it without turning it into a mayonnaise-y mess, but feel free to use more or less to meet your own preference.
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For more information on the cooking times you can read my detailed article which addresses why is there a range in sous vide cooking times.
Preheat a water bath to 140°F (60°C).
Place the sausage links in the sous vide bags in a single layer then seal. Place the sous vide bags in the water bath and cook for 2 to 3 hours, until pasteurized.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Lay aluminum foil on the bottom of a sheet pan with raised edges.
Mix the honey and sriracha together in a small bowl then season with salt and pepper.
Cut off the greens from the cauliflower and discard. Cut the cauliflower in half. Lightly brush some olive oil on the bottom of the cauliflower and place it on the sheet pan. Brush the visible sides with some of the honey-sriracha glaze. Place in the oven and cook for 30 to 60 minutes, until tender, brushing more honey-sriracha glaze on every 10 to 15 minutes.
Once tender, remove from the heat.
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove the cooked sausage from the sous vide bag and dry thoroughly using paper towels or a dish cloth. Quickly sear them for 30 to 60 seconds per side, until just browned, then remove from the heat.
Serve up the dish by spooning some coleslaw onto a plate then placing the sausages and cauliflower on top. Sprinkle with the basil leaves then serve.
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This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm a passionate home cook who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
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