Soups and Stews

• Andouille sausage is an integral part of jambalaya or gumbo. The thick, hearty stews are Cajun staples, and start with a flavorful base of the "holy trinity": sauteed onion, peppers and celery. Tomatoes and spicy seasonings, like cayenne and paprika, are added, and a good chicken stock provides the liquid. For jambalaya, rice is cooked in the stock. Gumbo is served over rice and thickened with okra or gumbo file powder. Add sliced andouille to white or black bean soup, creamy potato soup or kale soup made with chopped kale simmered in broth with andouille.

Grilled

• Grilled andouille can replace a bratwurst or a frankfurter in a bun, or be a smoky addition to a seafood dish. Heat the grill to high, brush the whole sausages with oil and grill until the casing starts to brown. Serve on a grilled bun with sauteed or fresh chopped onion or chow chow, a Southern relish made from chopped vegetables, vinegar and hot peppers. Or, serve the grilled sausages on a bed of creamy grits. Make a cold summer salad by slicing the grilled sausages and combining them with boiled sweet or white potatoes. Dress the salad with a vinaigrette made with oil, vinegar and mustard.

Baked

• Substitute andouille for Italian sausage in baked pasta dishes, or slice it and add it to a pot of baked beans made with a brown sugar or molasses sauce. The spicy sausage and the sweetness of the sauce play against each other. Add zest to macaroni and cheese by including sliced sausages and dusting the top with paprika. Layer slices of lightly sauteed eggplant and sausage and top with a creamy cheese sauce or combine andouille with cooked white potatoes, chopped onion and bell pepper. Add white sauce, and cook until the dish is heated.

Poached and Simmered

• Poaching andouille on top of the stove with a bottle of beer that can stand up to the sausage’s flavor, like a porter or stout, helps retain the meat’s juiciness. For an Old World-New World contrast, core a head of cabbage and cut it into wedges. Place it in a heavy pot and cover the cabbage with stock. Cook the cabbage until it’s extremely tender and add andouille sausage. To make the dish more substantial, add cut up potatoes and carrots about 20 minutes before the cabbage is done.