Merguez Sausage with Conch Peas with Mise En Place

Merguez Sausage with Conch Peas and Microgreens

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Conch Peas
• 1 Medium Onion Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme leaves
• 1 Teaspoon chopped Fresh Parsley
• 3-4 Cups Water
• Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds merguez sausage: 1 long link or individual links
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

1. Rinse, pick through and soak the peas in cold water overnight or quickly soak them with boiling water for 1 hour. Put the peas in a thick bottom pot with 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and cook for 1 hour. Sauté the onions and herbs in butter until soft. Add them to the pot with the remaining ingredients and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes or until the peas are soft. Taste and season with pepper.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a wide cast-iron pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sear the merguez on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
3. In the same pan, over low heat, add the lemon juice and the beans back to the pot and place the seared merguez on top. Cover and continue to braise until the beans are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 30 minutes more. Season with salt to taste and top with microgreens and serve.