Linguiça Calabresa and Potatoes

Linguiça calabresa as many of you may already know is a Brazilian cured spicy sausage. Simply put, it is absolutely delicious. Meaty, and salty, with flecks of cured pork fat, it is a treat. This fully cooked sausage is often reheated by grilling, or, sliced and quickly tossed in a hot pan. It’s great on pizzas and other types of flat breads; it’s also a welcome part of a cheese and fruit board.

I slice and chop calabresa and add it to dishes like fried rice and rice and peas. Sometimes I stir fry it with cabbage or onions for a sumptuous breakfast along with garlic butter toast. However, my favourite way is to cook it with potatoes; it makes for a full hearty meal that I can have at any time with a garden salad.

INGREDIENTS

• 

  2 tablespoons oil

• 1 – 1 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks rinsed and pat dry
• 1 ½ teaspoons all-purpose seasoning (see notes about salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 link calabresa sausage cut into rounds, about ¼-inch thickness
• Thinly sliced scallions/green onions (white/purple and green parts)

DIRECTIONS

1. Add oil to frying plan and place over medium heat until smoking hot. Swirl the pan to ensure the entire bottom of the pan is coated with oil.
2. Add the potatoes in an even layer and press firmly to ensure that the potatoes are touching the entire surface of the pan. Let cook untroubled for 6 minutes.
3. Sprinkle all-purpose seasoning and black pepper.
4. Using a flat spatula, toss the potatoes so that the other side can brown.
5. Scatter sausages over the potatoes, cover pan and reduce heat to low; cook for 12 – 15 minutes or until a knife inserts easily into the potatoes. Gently toss to mix the sausages and potatoes.
6. Remove from heat, garnish with scallions/green onions and serve.

NOTE

• The all-purpose seasoning I use already has in salt so I do not add salt to the potatoes, besides, there is enough salt in the sausages to balance the dish. However, if your seasoning does not have salt, add a ¼ teaspoon salt to the potatoes when adding the seasoning and black pepper.