Chocolate Sausage Bites

Okay, I can hear you now -- chocolate and...sausage?

Let me explain.

Don and I are always on the look-out for new restaurant adventures here in beautiful northern New Jersey. Yes yes, there is always New York City 20 short miles away, but that's not any kind of challenge. Finding a really great new place out here, on the other hand, is cause for celebration, and last Saturday night we found a keeper. For all you New Jerseyites, it is called the Spotted Rooster Cafe, and it is located in Mahwah NJ, in a complex with something called Ace Janitorial and something else called Scott's Turnpike Automotive. That might have been enough to scare away someone who is fainter of heart than my brave Southern husband (someone like me, for example). But he took my hand firmly and in we went.

It is a tiny place that specializes in brunches and lunches, and opens just on Friday and Saturday nights for dinner. There was jazz playing in background, little tables for two tucked along the red walls, sultry lighting, candles on the table, and it smelled DELICIOUS in there. Soon we were sitting at one of those cozy tables, holding hands, ooh-la-la, etc. etc. And then out came the very sweet waitress with "a little something from the chef, with his compliments," which turned out to be these unbelievably good little concoctions of toasted bread rounds spread with dark chocolate and topped with thin little slices of hot sausage. Don being adventurous and me being in a cooperative mood, we dove right in, and ooh-la-la all over again. Heaven, heaven, heaven.

So I took the first opportunity to try and recreate these little gems at home. I had some andouille sausage in the fridge, although I think it would be great with chorizo as well. I picked up a loaf of French bread and a jar of Silver Palate thick dark chocolate ice cream sauce (look in the supermarket aisle where they sell the sprinkles and cones), and we were in business. I made them the size I remembered them (see picture above) -- Don remembered them as being smaller, with just one slice of sausage on a smaller bread round. They are very tasty either way! So, with thanks to the Spotted Rooster, my adapted recipe is below. And if you are ever in Mahwah New Jersey and feeling romantic, or hungry, or both, here's a link to this great new restaurant:

Spotted Rooster Cafe

Or, you can just make these for your honey at home!

CHOCOLATE SAUSAGE BITES

• 1 baguette, sliced thin
  
• 1jar chocolate ice cream sauce (or any other kind of chocolate spread that catches your fancy. Nutella might be good!)
• 1 andouille or chorizo sausage, sliced into very thin rounds

1. Toast baguette slices until just slightly golden brown, let cool

2. Spread each toast with a spoonful of chocolate sauce

3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and saute sausage slices until heated through, about 2-3 minutes

4. Using tongs, pick up sausage rounds and lay on top of chocolate-topped bread.

5. Arrange on platter. Convince those you are serving that even though these are a little off-beat, they will thank you forever if they try one.

And if you ever make it to the Spotted Rooster, I highly recommend the mussels gratin. I might try figuring out that recipe next!