Grape-Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sausage

I HAVE LONG LOVED ROASTED GRAPES. One of the first things I picked up from my days watching the Food Network was the jaw-dropping idea that just by putting a seedless grape in the oven, I could transform it into something savory.

Wildly enough, I never tried to roast a muscadine until recently. I thought the skin would just be too tannic and tough. I was wrong. The skin holds its shape but loses its chewy brawn, and the flesh becomes the jammy essence of muscadine. If the seeds weren’t such a pain to extract, I’d probably put roasted muscadines on everything from ice cream to steak.

This mixed roast pairs caramelized muscadines with toasty Brussels sprouts, link sausage, and Dijon mustard. It hits every element of taste we humans have. Serve it in early fall with roast meats, all by itself, or next to a bowl of greens.

INGREDIENTS

“2 cups muscadines, halved and seeded

2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

8 ounces of your favorite link sausage, cut into ½-inch rounds (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1¼ teaspoons salt, divided

15 turns of the pepper mill or scant ½ teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons lemon juice

PREPARATION

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss together the muscadines, Brussels sprouts, sausage, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture out on a large baking sheet in a single layer. Do not crowd the pan. Slide the baking sheet onto the middle rack of your oven and roast for 25 minutes.

As it roasts, whisk together the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, the Dijon, and the lemon juice. As soon as you take the grapes out of the oven, slide a metal spatula underneath it all, and scrape up any caramelization that’s accumulated on the pan. You want that sugary stuff to be a part of the final dish, not a part of your roasting pan. Serve warm drizzled with the Dijon dressing.