Grilled Sausage, Orange, and Bay Leaf Skewers
Spiedini di Salsicce e Arance
Region: Italy, Sicily
Category: Sausage, Grilled Sausage, Mixed
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Easy but labor intensive

Fresh juicy oranges skewered and grilled with sausage is an unusual taste that works.  The bay leaf and onion provide an enticing aroma as you grill quickly.  Discard the bay leaf but you eat all of the orange including the peel.  Do not use navel oranges for this recipe as the peel is too thick.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 40 minutes

10 bay leaves

1 small onion, quartered and separated

6 links (about 1 1/2 pounds) mild Italian sausage, cut in equal-sized chunks

1 Valencia (juice) orange, cut in chunks the same size as the sausage

Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

1. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high.

2. Put the bay leaves into some tepid water while you work so they soften. 

3. Skewer the onion, bay leaf, sausage, and orange, in that order, on ten 6- to 8-inch wooden skewers.  There should be about 2 or 3 pieces of meat per skewer.

4. Drizzle the food with olive oil and grill until blackening, about 20 minutes, turning occasionally.  Serve immediately.

Variation: 

Note: 

Posted: 12/29/2006