Sometimes, an old and tired dish can benefit from a little update. Sausages and eggs for breakfast again? Braise the fried sausages in black bean salsa. New look. New flavors. New textures. Wonderful!
What’s in the salsa aside from black beans? It’s a tomato-based salsa so you have tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, bell peppers and raisins.
Yes, raisins. I used golden raisins but black ones should be just as good. I just chose golden raisins because I already had black beans and I didn’t want the salsa to look so dark. Had I used butter beans, I probably would have opted for black raisins to go with them.
By the way, the black beans that went into the salsa is NOT fermented black beans used in Chinese cooking. They’re just regular baked black beans.
But why raisins? Because their sweetness gives a wonderful contrast to the acidity of the tomatoes. If you prefer sweet over tangy, use more raisins. If you like just a hint of sweetness, use less.
What sausage goes well with this sweet and tangy salsa? The garlicky ones are especially good. Not canned Vienna sausages, please! I feel obliged to mention that because there is a generation of Filipinos who immediately think that “sausage” necessarily comes out of a can. Think more in terms of longganisa. Hot dogs would be a last resort.
So, sausages. Not canned. Just grill or fry the sausages as usual then drop into the simmering salsa. Braise for five minutes and that’s it! Lay your bread and eggs on the plate, ladle the sausages and salsa beside them and have a great meal.
And… if you’re not into bread first thing in the morning, sausages with this black bean salsa is great over rice too!
What cuisine does this dish come from? Nothing. Nowhere. Sometimes, I wake up with bright ideas. Not so often on hot summer days but when the offensive humidity gives way to afternoon and early evening showers, guess what? The next day, I feel inspired.
Sausages With Sweet Tangy Black Bean Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 to 12 garlicky sausages
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 pinches dried oregano
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cubed
- 2 bell peppers deseeded and chopped
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 can (14-ounce) diced tomatoes
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 can (14-ounce) black beans (not salty fermented black beans!) drained
To serve
- toasted bread
- scrambled eggs
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Pierce the sausages and pop into a preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through and browned.
- While the sausages cook, make the salsa. Heat the butter in a sauce pan.
- Saute the garlic, onion and oregano for a minute.
- Add the carrot cubes and chopped bell peppers. Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring, for half a minute.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes.
- Stir in the raisins and beans.
- Bring the mixture to the boil, cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Taste the salsa. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Take the sausages out of the oven and add to the salsa. Stir gently. Cover the pot and braise for five minutes.
- To serve, arrange toasted bread and eggs on one side of the plate. Ladle the sausages and salsa on the opposite side. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and have a great breakfast.
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