LINKING FLAVORS GOURMET SAUSAGES SIZZLE FOR SUMMER FEASTING.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Take some gourmet sausages - with flavors like Lemon Chicken; Smoked Turkey and Chicken With Sun-Dried Tomato and Fresh Basil; Smoked Chicken Apple; Chicken and Turkey Pesto; Beef Teriyaki and Turkey With Jack Cheese and Jalapeno Peppers - slap them on the grill and in short order you have the makings of a delicious summer spread.

These are just some of the myriad flavor darlings sausage makers have been fashioning in the last few years. Two of the newest formulations available in Los Angeles markets are fajita- and teriyaki-flavored sausages under the Chef Bruce Aidells label. Peruse the refrigerated case at supermarkets and specialty food shops and you'll find a wealth of tempting flavor combinations and brands, both fully cooked and fresh.

There has been a big boom in specialty sausages in the last three to four years, notes Tony Cantella, sales manager of Vernon-based Papa Cantella's Inc., a company started by his father, Tom, in 1980. It began marketing gourmet sausages under the Cantella's label three years ago. More than likely it's because a lot of people are looking for convenience, ease, flavor and quality - which fully cooked gourmet sausages offer - in addition to being leaner than traditional sausages.

You can pan fry, grill or broil the sausages and serve with a salad, pasta or potatoes for a meal with great flavor in less than half an hour. Sausages are versatile and can be added to a number of recipes.

You can also toss them already grilled and sliced in lettuce, pasta or hot potato salads, in burritos, stacked enchiladas, tacos, dumpling fillings and much more. Or use them sliced in a layered fresh-vegetable gratin topped with cheese and baked. Or thread sausage slices on skewers with seafood and various vegetables and grill for a fast and fabulous entree. There are numerous possibilities.

Despite the availability of today's chic, trendy sausages, the category still suffers from an image problem. ``There is definitely a stigma to sausages,'' adds Cantella, and it goes back to the time (1906) of Upton Sinclair's book, ``The Jungle,'' that exposed the horrors of the meat- packing industry and led to government regulations of the food industry, the passage of the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and the establishment of the Food and Drug Administration.

``Sausage in general is not as demonized now as is once was,'' says Jody Monkarsh, who has been making and selling sweet and hot Italian and polish sausage sandwiches on the Venice Boardwalk since 1979. His company, Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom, has been making and selling gourmet flavored sausage for 15 years.

To appeal to health conscious consumers, many of the fully cooked poultry sausages contain about 10 to 14 percent fat as opposed to some traditional sausages that contain 25 percent fat. ``A certain percentage of fat content is a necessity or the sausage becomes too dry, especially when heated the second time around,'' says Cantella.

``There are sausages out there that have less fat than some of mine, but I am only prepared to go so far, so the sausages are edible,'' says Aidells, owner of the San Leandro-based Aidells Sausage Co., which he started in 1983 and which now produces 30 sausage blends. ``If a sausage isn't juicy then you have failed. Who wants to eat a hard, dry, mealy sausage?'' Aidells uses items like artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, green pepper, etc. to add moisture to his sausages.

Read sausage labels - some contain nitrites, others don't. As far as casings go, different manufacturers use different qualities, with some being thinner and more tender than others. But all are totally edible. Keep in mind that it is difficult to peel the casing from cooked sausage. Before they are cooked you can easily squeeze out the sausage or remove the casing.

Although sausages ranked 12th on the list of most frequently grilled foods by the average American in the 2000 Weber Grillwatch Survey, they may inch their way up as more consumers venture beyond traditional ones and give flavorful and unique gourmet sausages a whirl.

GRILLED SAUSAGE BURRITO WITH TOMATOES, PEPPERS AND BLACK BEANS

This spicy burrito can be made with any type of sausage. Also, to save time, you can use your favorite salsa instead of making it as recipe notes.

5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons EACH chopped white onion and chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 EACH red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper

6 fully cooked chicken sausage links, flavor desired

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

6 (12-inch) flour tortillas

1/4 head iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

Guacamole and sour cream (optional)

Combine tomatoes, garlic, jalapeno, onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt in small bowl; set aside. (Can refrigerate up to 3 days.)

Oil grill grate. Heat grill to high. Place whole peppers on grill. Cook, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer peppers to bowl; cover with plastic wrap. (Or, place in paper or plastic bag; close bag.) Remove skins of pepper when cool enough to handle. Discard stem and seeds. Chop. Place in medium bowl. Stir in beans and reserved tomato salsa; set aside.

Cook sausages on grill until nicely browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Move sausages to medium heat section of grill. Cook, covered, turning often, until steaming hot inside, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to cutting board. Cut sausages into 1/2-inch rounds. Add sausages to bean mixture.

Place tortillas on grill to warm, about 20 seconds. Spoon sausage filling on each tortilla. Sprinkle lettuce on top. Layer with guacamole and sour cream as desired. Roll up, folding in both ends. Serve with guacamole and sour cream. Makes 6 servings.

From ``Chicago Tribune test kitchen.''

ASIAN MIXED GRILL 

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 (4- to 6-ounce) fillets of white fish (halibut, sea bass etc.)

1/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 fully cooked teriyaki beef sausage links

In a large non-reactive mixing bowl, combine soy sauce, orange juice, ginger and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Toss fish and shrimp in soy sauce mixture and let stand, refrigerated, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove seafood from marinade (discard marinade) and pat dry. Thread shrimp on bamboo skewers for easier grilling.

Place sausage and fish on a hot grill and grill about 6 to 12 minutes total, turning often, until fish is tender and sausage is browned and steaming hot inside. When sausages and fish are almost done, place shrimp on grill and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute per side or until pink. Remove from grill and serve. Makes 4 servings.

From Bruce Aidells.

SKEWERED ANDOUILLE AND SHRIMP WITH CREOLE MUSTARD SAUCE

For best results skewer the shrimp lengthwise and the sausage crosswise through the casing.

CREOLE MUSTARD BUTTER:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons Creole OR other spicy mustard

2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

SKEWERS:

2 EACH red bell peppers, green bell peppers and red onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound fully cooked andouille OR other flavor sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails left on

For Creole Mustard Butter, melt butter over low heat. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Whisk in mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste; set aside.

Soak 24 (6-inch) bamboo skewers in water 30 minutes. Heat grill or broiler to high.

Thread skewers alternately with pieces of vegetables, sausage and shrimp. Brush each skewer generously with mustard butter. Grill until shrimp is pink and sausage is lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Serve with remaining mustard butter on side. Makes 6 servings.

Adapted from ``Bruce Aidells' Complete Sausage Book,'' by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.

PASTA SALAD

1 large red onion, halved

2 large red OR green bell peppers, halved

Olive oil 

3 to 4 fully cooked chicken and turkey sausage links, flavor desired

8 ounces fusilli (corkscrew-shaped) pasta, cooked and drained

4 medium ripe tomatoes, diced

1 jar (about 7 ounces) oil and vinegar dressing

3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Seasoned salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Brush onion and peppers on all sides with oil. Grill red onion, bell peppers and sausages over medium heat until tender and lightly charred, turning a few times during grilling time (will take 6 to 12 minutes total). Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine cooked pasta with tomatoes, grilled vegetables and sausages and as much dressing as desired. Toss well. Stir in pine nuts, cheese, and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

SOUTHWEST GREEN CHILE SAUSAGE AND CABBAGE SALAD

This refreshing and tangy slaw makes a wonderfully satisfying lunch, an appetizing first course or a great side dish.

SALAD:

2 medium carrots, diced

4 fully cooked chicken sausage links (such as habanero and green chile or other flavors desired), grilled and diced

1 head cabbage (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds), shredded

LIME CILANTRO DRESSING:

Juice of 6 limes 

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 bunches (4 to 6 ounces EACH) cilantro, chopped

Cherry tomatoes and sliced peeled oranges for garnish

For Salad, in a saucepan, blanch carrots in boiling water to cover 5 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Combine grilled sausages with carrots and cabbage in a large bowl.

To make Lime Cilantro Dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, garlic, Tabasco sauce, salt and olive oil.

Toss cabbage mixture with dressing and cilantro. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with cherry tomatoes and orange slices. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Adapted from ``Flying Sausages,'' by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.

CHICKEN AND APPLE SAUSAGE, SWEET CORN AND RICE SALAD

3 to 4 fully cooked chicken and apple sausage links

2 cups uncooked fresh corn kernels (scraped from cob)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups freshly cooked long-grain white rice

1 cup diced smoked mozzarella OR other smoked cheese

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted in a skillet

1 bunch (4 to 6 ounces) watercress, leaves only

Mustard Vinaigrette

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grill sausages over medium to medium-high heat about 10 to 12 minutes total, turning often, until browned and steaming hot inside. Dice sausage into cubes. In a large skillet, cook corn in hot oil, stirring occasionally. Placed cooked rice in a large bowl, add hot sausages, corn and cheese. Toss lightly to melt cheese slightly and add toasted pine nuts and watercress leaves.

Pour Mustard Vinaigrette over salad in bowl and toss well. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve at once or at room temperature within next 30 minutes to an hour. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE: Whisk together 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar in a small bowl. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Adapted from ``Flying Sausages,'' by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.

THAI SAUSAGE SALAD

1 pound fully cooked chicken and turkey sausage links, flavor desired

Olive oil

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 to 3 teaspoons Thai chile sauce OR Tabasco sauce

Pinch sugar

20 fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemongrass (center stalks only)

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 medium head iceberg lettuce, large outer leaves removed and kept whole, remaining leaves thinly sliced

Cilantro sprigs for garnish

Grill sausage over medium heat until browned, and steaming hot inside, turning often, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 3 to 4 tablespoons oil (OR more to taste), lime juice, soy sauce, chile sauce and sugar. Add mint leaves, lemongrass and sliced onion to dressing and stir well.

Lay large lettuce leaves on a platter and cover with shredded lettuce. Arrange sausage, cut in 1/2-inch thick slices over lettuce. Spoon dressing over salad and garnish with cilantro sprigs. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Adapted from ``Bruce Aidells' Complete Sausage Book,'' by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.

WILD RICE AND PECAN SALAD WITH GRILLED SAUSAGES

3 cups water

1 cup raw wild rice, rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1/2 cup pecans

1 pound fully cooked duck OR other flavor sausage links

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar OR red wine vinegar

1/4 cup walnut oil

Freshly ground pepper

Heat water to boiling in a medium saucepan. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return water to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in medium skillet. Add pecans; cook over medium-low heat, shaking pan constantly, just until nuts are browned and develop nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl; set aside.

Heat grill to medium. Cook sausages, covered, turning sausages frequently, until browned and steaming hot inside, about 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer to cutting board. Slice warm sausages on angle; set aside.

Add rice, green onions, parsley, vinegar and walnut oil to pecans in bowl. Toss well to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mound rice salad on platter. Arrange sausages over rice. Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from ``Bruce Aidells' Complete Sausage Book,'' by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly.

MOROCCAN COUSCOUS WITH GRILLED SAUSAGES

2 cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1/4 pound fully cooked Moroccan sausage links with pistachios, diced

1 1/3 cups couscous

1/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/4 cup golden raisins

6 fully cooked Moroccan sausage links with pistachios

1/4 cup pistachio nuts

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped, fresh mint

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onion and diced sausage and cook 4 to 5 minutes, browning slightly. Add couscous, apricots and raisins and stir until well coated. Pour in boiling chicken stock; remove from heat, cover and let stand about 15 minutes.

Grill 6 sausage links over medium heat, turning often, about 10 to 12 minutes total, until well browned and steaming hot inside; set aside.

Stir remaining ingredients into couscous and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon couscous onto a serving platter and arrange grilled sausages on top. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

CHICKEN SAUSAGE SANDWICHES

1 (16-ounce) package fully cooked chicken sausage links, flavor desired

1 pint favorite spaghetti sauce

6 (6- OR 7-inch long) sandwich rolls

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Grill sausages over medium heat about 10 to 12 minutes total, turning often, until browned and steaming hot inside. Meanwhile, heat spaghetti sauce in microwave oven until hot.

Place a sausage in each roll and top with desired amount of mozzarella cheese. Finish it off by melting cheese in sandwich with a topping of warm spaghetti sauce. Makes 6 servings.

GRILLING TIPS

Sausage sales increase in the summer months, says Bruce Aidells, who adds that grilling is the most popular way to prepare gourmet sausages.

Aidells, Tony Cantella and Jody Monkarsh all recommend grilling fully cooked sausages rather than fresh as they are safer, more convenient and easier to handle.

Keep the flame to a minimum (or zero), advises Aidells.

``Less heat is better,'' he says. ``I prefer using a covered grill because you have more control over flare-ups.''

He also uses direct medium-to-medium-high heat and avoids overcooking. Do not pierce or prick the sausages prior to placing on the preheated grill to minimize fat loss (there is not much fat in them) and flare-ups, he emphasizes.

``Grill cooking is all about moving the food around - turning it often and moving it,'' he emphasizes, even though that may be contrary to what some barbecue experts tout.

Brown the sausages evenly, but don't blacken. You simply want to warm fully-cooked sausages until hot, which generally takes about 10 to 14 minutes total, depending on the heat intensity.

Bessie Berry, manager of the USDA's Meat and Poultry Hot Line, is more specific: ``Reheat (or grill) fully cooked sausage until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the sausage reads 165 degrees F, or until the sausage is hot throughout and steam is in evidence when you cut into the sausage.'' Timing will depend on sausage diameter, composition, temperature of grill, etc., adds Berry.

``You can't walk away from the grill (unless you are cooking a large piece of meat over indirect heat) and come back later. Grilling is about playing with the food and nursing it,'' says Aidells.

If you don't want to heat the grill, sausages can also be cooked in a grill pan or skillet over medium heat, turning frequently, for about 10 minutes, until evenly browned.

Another quick option is broiling. Turn the sausages two or three times during cooking. Although some consumers insist on microwaving sausages, Cantella advises against it as the sausages and casings become tough.

However you cook sausages, avoid overcooking, says Aidells, or you'll end up with dry, mealy end results.

Eat grilled sausages plain or in a sandwich or get creative and gussy them up with interesting breads or six- to seven-inch-long onion-poppy seed buns, grilled onions, grilled red and green peppers, salsas, sauerkraut with caraway seeds, a variety of mustards, mayos and even chutneys.

Keep in mind that once you cook sausages, don't leave them out more than one hour if it's 90 degrees F or above; at lower temperatures, any leftover food should be refrigerated within two hours, reminds Berry.

If you end up with any leftover packages of sausage, stash in the freezer and use within two to three months.

Tasting yields enjoyable results

Gourmet sausages are not weak links. In an informal, unscientific sampling of eight different flavors of fully cooked (or pre-cooked) sausages by four manufacturers found in local markets - Aidells Sausage Co., Papa Cantella's, Jody Maroni Sausage Kingdom and Gerhard's Sausage (Napa Valley) - numerous tasters enjoyed the variety and wide array of flavor choices. Tasters found all of the sausages - grilled outdoors on a gas grill - palatable.

Standouts favored by our tasters were Chef Bruce Aidells Beef Teriyaki, Gerhard's Smoked Chicken Apple With Chardonnay, Chef Bruce Aidells Sun-Dried Tomato (Smoked Turkey and Chicken and Fresh Basil) and Cantella's Smoked Chicken and Turkey Pesto. A few tasters also liked the Cantella's Chicken and Turkey with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Black Olives and Feta cheese.

One taster noted that the chicken apple sausage would be great for Sunday brunch with eggs, coffee cake and fruit. The Greek-inspired links would be good sliced in a Greek-style salad with lettuce, cucumber slices, Greek olives, tomatoes and a vinaigrette dressing - or try it diced in a Greek pasta salad.

Least favored by tasters were Chef Bruce Aidells new Beef Fajita and Cantella's Santa Fe Turkey Sausage With Jack Cheese and Jalapeno Peppers - both of which were overwhelmingly hot and spicy (and the packages were not earmarked to alert consumers). The heat overpowered and masked the other flavors in the sausages, an attribute that would make them good candidates to use as recipe ingredients - in pastas, salads, stuffings, etc., where the flavor is not so concentrated - rather than eating straight and unembellished from the grill.

Experiment with different brands to discover those you find most appealing. Texture, appearance, body, add-ins and flavor combinations vary. When buying, look for a sell-by date, which many manufacturers include on the package - and plan to buy, cook and use the links by that date.

- Natalie Haughton

CAPTION(S):

8 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) These are NOT the weakest links

Heat up gourmet sausages for summer grilling

(2 -- color) Slice grilled sausages and toss with assorted salad greens, chopped tomatoes and other veggies and your favorite dressing for a meal in a dish.

(3 -- 4 -- color) Gourmet sausages add delicious flavor to pasta creations, above, or exotic dishes like Moroccan Couscous with Grilled Sausages, right.

(5 -- color) no caption (Sausages and shrimp on skewer)

(6 -- color) no caption (Grilled sausage burrito)

Bob Fila/Chicago Tribune

(7) no caption (packaged sausage)

(8) For a quick sandwich for kids and adults, pop grilled sausages into rolls and top with cheese and hot spaghetti sauce.

Box: (1) Grilling Tips (see text)

(2) Tasting yields enjoyable results (see text)