By David Draper

Cannellini, or white kidney, beans are staple in my kitchen and I always try to keep several cans in the pantry. Truthfully, we usually have several cans of beans, along with a few pounds of dried beans, on hand, but cannellinis are probably my favorite. They’re creamy and readily take on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with. I toss them with tomatoes for a quick and easy side dish and incorporate them into several different main dishes, including this simple braise with some venison merguez the I made from last summer’s axis deer.

Venison Merguez with White Beans and Kale

Ingredients
- 3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 to 3 links venison merguez or other fresh sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. curly kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 2 15 oz. cans cannellini bean, drained
- 1 cup venison stock
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded pan over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the sausage, turning to brown all sides. Transfer the sausage to a plate and keep warm.

2. If necessary, add more olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Sauté the onion. Add a pinch or two of salt and stir until the onion turns translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the kale, adding a handful at a time as they wilt down. Pour in the cannellini beans, and enough stock to come just to the levels of the beans.

3. Nestle the sausages into the beans and cover. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the sausage reads 155 degrees.

4. Serve with diced jalapeño for garnish.

Comments (5)

from Koldkut wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

That looks good, I had to look up the recipe for that type of sausage, might have to try making a small batch.

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from Neil J. Selbicky wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Sitting here tying some flies. Seeing this, now I'm hungry for lunch. Kale. Isn't that a winter vegetable? Bet that would go good with some venison Italian sausage.

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from Koldkut wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Neil, the recipe for this sausage looks like italian sausage with paprika and chili paste mixed in.

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from Neil J. Selbicky wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Koldkut, I looked up the merguez sausage 'cuz I just had to know. Sounds like: "Merguez is a red, spicy mutton - or beef -based fresh sausage in North African cuisine. It is also popular in the Middle East, and Europe..." Sounds spicy. I suppose not hot enough for Dave. He had to add diced jalapeño to the plate!

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from allegnmtn wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

Excellent recipe! (and quick and simple). I just tried it with kale from the garden and sausage from last winter's buck. I substituted a few of the last leeks(ramps) of the year for the garlic and a tablespoon of homemade jalapeno hot sauce for the chopped one.

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from Neil J. Selbicky wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Sitting here tying some flies. Seeing this, now I'm hungry for lunch. Kale. Isn't that a winter vegetable? Bet that would go good with some venison Italian sausage.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Koldkut wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

That looks good, I had to look up the recipe for that type of sausage, might have to try making a small batch.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Koldkut wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Neil, the recipe for this sausage looks like italian sausage with paprika and chili paste mixed in.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Neil J. Selbicky wrote 3 weeks 5 days ago

Koldkut, I looked up the merguez sausage 'cuz I just had to know. Sounds like: "Merguez is a red, spicy mutton - or beef -based fresh sausage in North African cuisine. It is also popular in the Middle East, and Europe..." Sounds spicy. I suppose not hot enough for Dave. He had to add diced jalapeño to the plate!

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from allegnmtn wrote 3 weeks 4 days ago

Excellent recipe! (and quick and simple). I just tried it with kale from the garden and sausage from last winter's buck. I substituted a few of the last leeks(ramps) of the year for the garlic and a tablespoon of homemade jalapeno hot sauce for the chopped one.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.