
Chicken and Sausage
When I read cookbooks, I am not turned off by long lists of ingredients. Nor do I look for the words “quick” or “easy” in the recipe names. I never have, even though I probably should have taken quick and easy more seriously when I was cooking for our growing family and busy as the dickens. I just prefer real recipes with real ingredients, whether simple or more involved.
I own all of Nigella Lawson’s cookbooks and love all of them. I love a lot of things about her. She’s hysterically funny, an impressive writer, she embraces her love of food and eating, and she doesn’t bother with super fiddly recipes (translation from British – fussy/sophisticated).
Even her cakes are often rustic, mis-shapen layers of chocolate goodness. You don’t make them for fair judging, you make them because they’re fabulous.
So once I came across a Nigella recipe for chicken and sausages that were roasted simply with Dijon mustard and oil. In the old days I might have turned up my nose at such a recipe, especially if it was called “Quick and Easy Chicken and Sausage.” But fortunately I didn’t. It is just a good recipe that happens to take little time, and the results are wonderful. And I’ve made this dish more than once, which is a rarity in my kitchen.
It came from the cookbook, “Feast” which might be my favorite of Ms. Lawson’s – aside from “Nigella Christmas.” Doesn’t she just look like she could be my best friend?!! I mean, that’s what I look like in the kitchen when I’m kneading bread!
Nigella’s original recipe For chicken and sausage has a few more ingredients, but this is how I’ve adapted her recipe.
Dijon-Roasted Chicken and Sausage
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 chicken breasts
5-6 Italian sausages
Small red potatoes, scrubbed
1 large purple onion, cut into wedges
Coarsely ground black pepper
Chopped rosemary
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, or 375 degrees if you have a roast setting.
Combine the olive oil and mustard in a decent-sized roasting pan. Whisk until smooth.
Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally, creating uniform pieces. Place the breasts in the pan, coating them with the mustardy oil. Then add the sausages to the pan, rolling them around to get coated.
Sprinkle the potatoes around the meat; halve them if they’re too large. Then add the wedges of onion around the meat.
Season well with coarse black pepper, if desired. Then add some sprigs of rosemary, or chopped rosemary.
I am in love with my Mauviel roasting pan, which has endured a lot of oven use over the years.
Roast for approximately 30-35 minutes, turning the chicken pieces and sausages half way through.
Serve immediately.
This dish is wonderful with steamed green beans.
As you can see, this dish is definitely quick and easy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good!
Thank you Nigella!
Love her books, have that one that might be my favorite too….
her persona on TV sometimes (in my humble opinion) gets a bit too forced into the path of “oh, I am so very sexy”, but hey, the woman is gorgeous in her own unique way and of course TV will try to capitalize on that.
her recipes work, and have that aura of simplicity without compromising flavor – love it!
I have her newest book and it’s a keeper too!
I know what you mean. I think Giada tried to do the same thing, but she doesn’t have the hips for it. My daughters bought me Nigelissima and I need to crack it open soon!
Giada definitely over-does it. I don’t know who advises that woman, but she definitely was a lot better in her early years at Food TV. Although her shyness interfered, it was more natural. oh, well. It is a fine line to negotiate and very few people can hit it on the spot.
Lovely post to read as well as great recipe. Thank you Mimi!
Thank you Kay!
Looks great. I love watching Nigella. I’m also envious of all of the little kitchen implements she has and her very impressive pantry!!
I love her signature kitchen stuff – not easy to get outside of England, from my experience!
I love Nigella, her recipes are true home cooking, not fussy just like you said. This dish is simple and delicious, love it. Wish I looked as glam and happy as her when I’m kneading dough, glad no is filming me it wouldn’t be pretty.
No kidding. I can honestly say that my hair has never been “down” while I am even in the kitchen, let alone cooking!
LOL, same here, flour on my face and everywhere, and although I have never seen myself kneading I don’t think there is a smile, maybe a grimmace.
Huge Nigella fan here too! I don’t think I’ve ever tried a recipe of hers that let me down. I was worried her newest book Simply Nigella was going down the healthy eating route but thankfully not, it’s great book.
Oh I love that one, too. I don’t think she ever do a healthy book, do you? That’s what I love about her. No that anything she makes is only unhealthy, but butter and bacon and chocolate don’t put her off.
I really like Nigella too and this recipe looks great. I’m making sausages tonight too and I plan on making an accompanying dinner roll so I plan to look like that, smiling with my hair down as I do it. But honesly, Nigella is gorgeous and down to earth. I think we can all aspire to that.
Make sure someone takes a picture of you kneading your bread dough!!!
Her receipes don’t let you down – I have a few old faves tucked upmy sleeve too! Lovely recipe and gorgeous photos :)
Thank you!!!
Ha ha I am not sure you will ever see me kneading bread and flour. I keep saying I’m going to bake a loaf of bread someday… The chicken and sausage dinner looks perfectly delicious, and who cares if it’s quick and easy? Not me! :D
If I could visit you for three hours you could bake bread in your sleep. But my hair won’t be down, that’s for sure!!!
:D
Guinness cake is all I have made of hers. DE-lish-us! I love the sound of her type of cooking–I will check her cookbook out and this recipe is a no brainer to try. Thanks for the excellent review!
I would bet that it’s really good. I’ve made just a couple of sweet recipes of hers, but I prefer savory. This is definitely a no brainier!
Gorgeous dish, hearty and so tempting! Would love some :)
I think people of all ages would like this recipe!
It looks delicious! Nigella is a great and this recipe is a clear example of why. Thanks for sharing :)
Exactly! Thank you!
I only have one of Nigelle’s cookbooks and I am not real familiar with her but I like this recipe. Mustard and sausages always win me over. Thanks for posting.
There’s only been one tv show of hers that has aired in the US, but I’m not a big food tv watcher, so I could be wrong. But I just love her on tv and in her cookbooks!
This is very close to my mother’s Dijon Chicken – although she made hers with butter, not oil. The simplicity is what makes this so good. Can’t wait to try it with the sausages! Thanks, Mimi!
Yeah, it’s not the most unique dish, although it’s not something I’d done before I saw her recipe! You could easily swap out potatoes for butternut squash, too. As you know, it’s all about the timing, getting nothing over or undercooked.
I never thought that quick and easy could have a negative connotation. I’ll have to be careful how I throw those words round! I’m with you in that the ingredients have to work regardless of how long the list is. And this looks delicious. Mustard is a great ingredient to use!
Well, that’s just me. Cream of mushroom soup would be quick and easy in my brain, poured over chicken. Ugh. But I have mellowed, as we all do. For me and food and recipes, it’s a good thing. Although I rarely take short cuts!
Although not a fan of Nigella, I do think the recipe sounds tasty. Absolutely love the Mauviel roasting pan!!! I need one of those.
It’s held up over many years of use!
Lovely Mimi. That’s my kind of cooking.
Thanks, Conor!
I love the entire meal, even the green beans! Being a former librarian and a big collector of cookbooks I do not own any of her cookbooks. Can you recommend a favorite? Planning to make this even though it is quick and easy :)
Hahahahahahaha! Well I really love Nigella Christmas, but if you’re not a huge Christmas fan, then I would suggest Feast because it is quintessentially Nigella!
I love Nigella too. I find her cooking very real and authentic and you don’t have to worry about creating something perfect, it’s more about the taste. This one-pan meal is a terrific example. I think I’ll cook this for dinner tonight! xx
You said it perfectly. Besides, I don’t need my food to look like works of art!
What a delicious and simple recipe! Love this idea :) Definitely want to give it a try..
It’s definitely easy! But good!
Nigella is one of my favorite chefs as well, I have to look into her cookbook, thank you!! This dish, LITERALLY had me drooling my sweet friend, I am going to share and pin FOR SURE!!!
Thanks! So simple yet perfect!
This really does sound delicious. I think sausage is chicken’s best friend. An English friend send me one of Nigella’s books in the British edition yearsago, and I made something of an enjoyable project covering it.
I love that combo as well. Of course, sausage goes with just about anything in my book!
What a delicious sounding recipe and one I would love to have right now. I love your Mauivel roast pan too :)
I love my roasting pan! Expensive but so worth it!
I bet your kitchen is filled with a wonderful aroma while this dish roasts. Love that!
It’s better than potpourri, isn’t it!!!
Like you, I’ve never shied away from supposedly “difficult” or complex recipes with lots of ingredients. In fact, most of my own recipes kind of reflect that. But sometimes simple and easy is just right and this looks like one of those dishes. What a wonderful winter dish! And your green beans tied with the chive are beautiful. I love Nigella, too and really love watching her cook on TV.
She’s also a wonderful role model as someone who obviously embraces her curvy figure!
What a hearty, wholesome meal for a cold wintry day! Love Nigella Lawson too, I haven’t seen her in quite sometime, but I love watching her shows.
I’m not much of a food tv show watcher, but I did love the one show I happened to know about. There is one now with Anthony Boursin and a crazy French guy – can’t remember his name now – and it’s pretty entertaining.
Dijon mustard is by far my favorite condiment and this simple but tasty meal is calling my name.
Oh I know. That might be the only reason I eat sausages – for the Dijon!
It’s nice to know that you love it as much as I do…there is nothing quite like a fresh jar of Dijon. :)
Ok it has some preparation but still doesn’t look difficult. I want something like this for lunch: I’ve accidentally been eating quite vegetarian for the last few days, so am craving something like this now! lol
No, no real preparation at all!!!
Easy then! ;)