Smoked Sausage With Split Pea Purée and Caraway Butter

Serves 4.

Note: It's amazing what you can do with a package of split peas. If you prefer nonsmoked sausage, go for it; the same flexibility goes for the cooking technique. Here it's poached, but if you want to fry it, that's good, too. For a side dish, consider warm potatoes tossed with chopped dill pickles. Or try some sliced cucumber mixed with sour cream. From "Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavors," by Diana Henry.

• 1 1/4 c. uncooked yellow split peas

• 1 onion, minced

• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped

• 1 leek, white part only, chopped and rinsed

• 1 tsp. dried marjoram

• Salt and pepper

• 5 c. mixed stock and water, or just water

• 1 large smoked sausage (see Note)

• Generous grating of fresh nutmeg

• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 2 tsp. caraway seeds

Directions

Put the split peas into a saucepan with the onion, carrot, leek, marjoram, seasoning and stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour, or until completely soft and a thick purée. When the split peas still are cooking, put the sausage into a separate pan of boiling water. Reduce the heat and poach it until heated through.

Return to the purée: Add more seasoning (it needs plenty) plus the nutmeg and vinegar, and place the purée into a warm bowl.

Heat butter in a skillet and add the caraway. Cook over medium heat until you can smell the caraway, but don't let the butter burn, then pour it over the purée.

Slice the sausage and serve with the purée.