Syrah-Poached Dried Fig and Sausage Skewer

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the wine, sugar, and pepper to a simmer. Add the figs, and simmer for 15 minutes. The figs will absorb some of the wine, but not become too soft. Remove the figs from the wine mixture and let cool completely on a plate. In a pan, cook the sausage in vegetable oil until done, let cool to room temperature and cut each sausage into 8 pieces.

Push a skewer into a fig half, then through a watercress leaf, and then into a sausage piece. When all the sausage and figs are skewered, sprinkle the crushed hazelnuts on a serving platter, and serve the skewers on top.