Good redneck that he is, John Pennell says he started making sausage out of every critter he hunted. Apparently that wasn’t enough, and he turned to making it out of quail purchased from nearby Diamond H Ranch in Bandera, Texas, a leading quail breeder and processor. Soon John’s sausage became so popular that he chucked a sixteen-year stint in construction to concentrate on a new business: Uncle John’s Quail Sausage. He ships his sausage all over the country and supplies numerous Texas restaurants (mine included) with his delicious quail links. Uncle John’s getting pretty well known in these parts, but I’m just as big a fan of his wife, Lanette, leader of Almost Patsy Cline, one of the area’s top party bands. A vocalist, songwriter, and bassist, she and fellow vocalist and keyboardist Vicki Gillespie started the band in 2002. The duo got so many requests for covers of country legend Patsy Cline’s songs that they named their band after her. As the band’s popularity grew, they brought in artists Larry Nolen (guitars, vocals), Bryan Kibbe (guitars, vocals) and Rick Reynolds (drums, vocals), expanding the group’s repertoire to include the music of numerous male legends. I’d sure like to have Almost Patsy Cline at my next party. On the menu, of course, would be Uncle John’s quail sausage on skewers, making it easy to grab a bite and keep on dancing.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 12

　　1 (2-pound) package Uncle John’s Quail Sausage, regular or jalapeño

　　10 fresh lemongrass stalks

　　

Step 1

Grill or pan-fry the sausage according to package directions. While the sausage cools, wash the lemongrass and remove the outer leaf. Slice each stalk lengthwise into 4 skewers. Cut each cooked sausage crosswise on the diagonal into 6 equal slices. Using a metal or bamboo skewer, drill holes in the sides of the sausage to make it easier to insert the lemongrass. Insert the lemongrass stalks, arrange the sausage skewers on a platter, and serve warm or at room temperature.

　　

do it early

Step 2

The sausage can be cooked early in the day and refrigerated. Warm up the links in a 325°F oven for about 15 minutes, slice, and place on skewers. Serve warm or at room temperature.

　　

tips

Step 3

Sturdy stalks of lemongrass make the best skewers. Look for lemongrass at farmers’ markets and Asian markets. I’ve also found high-quality lemongrass at upscale grocery stores such as Whole Foods and Central Market.

　　

Step 4

Uncle John’s sausage can be found at selected Hill Country farmers’ markets or from www.unclejohnsquailsausage.com.

　　Pastry Queen Parties by Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Copyright © 2009 Rebecca Rather and Alison Oresman. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.A pastry chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author, native Texan Rebecca Rather has been proprietor of the Rather Sweet Bakery and Café since 1999. Open for breakfast and lunch daily, Rather Sweet has a fiercely loyal cadre of regulars who populate the café’s sunlit tables each day. In 2007, Rebecca opened her eponymous restaurant, serving dinner nightly, just a few blocks from the café.  Rebecca is the author of THE PASTRY QUEEN, and has been featured in Texas Monthly, Gourmet, Ladies Home Journal, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Chocolatier, Saveur, and O, The Oprah Magazine. When she isn’t in the bakery or on horseback, Rebecca enjoys the sweet life in Fredericksburg, where she tends to her beloved backyard garden and menagerie, and eagerly awaits visits from her college-age daughter, Frances.Alison Oresman has worked as a journalist for more than twenty years. She has written and edited for newspapers in Wyoming, Florida, and Washington State. As an entertainment editor for the Miami Herald, she oversaw the paper’s restaurant coverage and wrote a weekly column as a restaurant critic. After settling in Washington State, she also covered restaurants in the greater Seattle area as a critic with a weekly column. A dedicated home baker, Alison is often in the kitchen when she isn't writing. Alison lives in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband, Warren, and their children, Danny and Callie.