Food for a wintry day in NYC. Sausage and fennel ragu from the folks over at the kitchn. Trying to keep a new year's resolution to cook more - this takes a little while but most of the time is simmering, and you end up with a meaty blend of sausage, tomato, and fennel (I threw in diced eggplant too). East as you like - we had it over whole grain pasta.
Ingredients:
- Olive oil
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 small to medium white onions
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 small fennel bulbs
- Two 32-ounce cans diced tomatoes, with their juices
- One 15-ounce can tomato puree
- 1 long sprig rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cooked pasta, to serve
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
1. Heat a Dutch oven or wide, extra-deep sauté pan over medium heat and
drizzle the pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. Spread the oil around as
the pan heats up. When the pan is hot, crumble in the raw sausage. Brown
the sausage over medium to medium-high heat for about 10 to 15 minutes,
stirring and scraping frequently.
2. While the sausage is cooking, peel and finely dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Remove the stalks and fronds from the fennel and reserve the fronds for garnish later. Dice the fennel bulbs into a similar size and shape as the diced onion
3. When the sausage is browned and partially cooked in small crumbles, add the diced onion, garlic, and fennel. Stir thoroughly so the vegetables are coated with the sausage fat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook the vegetables with the sausage for at least 15 minutes, or until they are beginning to be tender.
4. When the vegetables are beginning to be tender, add the two cans of diced tomatoes and the tomato puree. Stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the rosemary sprig, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, and cover the pot loosely with a lid. Cook for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. After an hour, take off the lid and taste the sauce. It should have cooked down into a jammy, thick sauce with still-juicy bits of fennel and small chunks of sausage.
While we're at it, check out this neat trick for peeling a whole head of garlic lickety-split:
2. While the sausage is cooking, peel and finely dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Remove the stalks and fronds from the fennel and reserve the fronds for garnish later. Dice the fennel bulbs into a similar size and shape as the diced onion
3. When the sausage is browned and partially cooked in small crumbles, add the diced onion, garlic, and fennel. Stir thoroughly so the vegetables are coated with the sausage fat. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook the vegetables with the sausage for at least 15 minutes, or until they are beginning to be tender.
4. When the vegetables are beginning to be tender, add the two cans of diced tomatoes and the tomato puree. Stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the rosemary sprig, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Lower the heat to a bare simmer, and cover the pot loosely with a lid. Cook for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. After an hour, take off the lid and taste the sauce. It should have cooked down into a jammy, thick sauce with still-juicy bits of fennel and small chunks of sausage.
While we're at it, check out this neat trick for peeling a whole head of garlic lickety-split:
5 comments:
Nice addition with the eggplant. That sounds tasty!
Yeah, super easy too.
Learning any good French dishes? Mmmmm, butter...
I learned how to go to the store and buy foie gras. Does that count?
Hummm foie gras.
Brian, try this place for dinner if you get a chance: http://www.lespapillesparis.fr/
I went back many times.
Foie gras totally counts - it's one of the four food groups, right? Foie gras, butter, red wine, red meat...
BTW, I have heard many a tale from G about that restaurant.
Post a Comment