Merguez Sausage with Kale and Couscous

Merguez sausage was one of the discoveries that I made soon after moving to NYC.  Most specialty markets, and some regular grocery stores, stock D'Artagnan sausages, including the merguez sausages that I usually buy.  I generally pair their merguez sausages with our standard couscous that I cook in chicken stock and then mix with sauteed onions, currants, toasted pine nuts and cilantro.  But since we had a big bunch of kale in the fridge I decided to mix it up and make the couscous and top it with some sauteed kale.  So instead of adding the onions and currants to the cilantro, I used them to flavor the kale.  I also added a pinch of a few different seasonings that I tend to associate with Moroccan food to give the sauteed kale more flavor.  I liked the addition of the kale, but I think that in the future I will return to our tried and true merguez sausage and couscous combination.  Or I would do some combination of the two.  In the future I might throw the kale in with the couscous, along with the currants, cinnamon, cumin and crushed red pepper flakes.  Or something along those lines.  Alex and I both enjoyed the spices and flavors of the kale, but weren't sure that it was worth the extra pan and extra work.  With our standard recipe it takes exactly two pans and about 15 minutes for the entire meal to come together.  This version takes 3 pans and 20-25 minutes (which is still a fairly quick cooking meal).  Another alternative is to choose between the two versions depending on our mood and the contents of the fridge.

Recipe after the jump!

Merguez Sausage with Kale and Couscous

INGREDIENTS:

10 oz merguez sausage links(we used a package of D'Artagnan sausages)

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp evoo

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 bunch of kale, stemmed and torn into bite size pieces

1/4 cup dried currants

s&p

1 cup whole wheat couscous, cooked according to package directions

3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tbsp unsalted butter

Place sausages and 1/4 cup water in skillet. Cook over medium heat until water evaporates and sausages start to brown, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the sausages cook evenly on all sides. Continue cooking until sausages are cooked through and browned on all sides, about 5-6 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, heat evoo in another heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, and cinnamon. Saute until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add kale and cook until beginning to wilt, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Stir in currants. Add 1/4 cup cooking water to skillet. Partially cover pan and simmer until liquid has reduced slightly and kale has finished wilting, about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with s&p.

Add cilantro and butter into hot couscous. Spoon couscous out onto a serving platter or individual plates and top with greens and sausages. 

Serve.