Italian Sausage
I don’t know why it is, of all the Mediterranean countries, only the Italians make much use of fennel: the bulb, the stems, the ferny leaves, the pollen, and the “seeds” or, actually, dried fruits. Belonging to the same plant family as anise, caraway, cumin, and dill, fennel may be the most versatile. Like anise, the fruits can be used to flavor liqueurs and desserts. Like caraway and dill, they can be used in bread, breadsticks, or crackers. Like cumin, they can be toasted to bring out its spicy side, and then it pairs wonderfully with meat and seafood and can even be combined with fiery chilis. My favorite may be the marriage of fennel and pork. For me, what we call “Italian sausage” is simply a celebration of this union in a sausage casing.
This month’s offering showcases the two faces of fennel–the sweet as well as the spicy. The sweet version has no heat, just garlic, red wine, a little oregano, and a tiny bit of allspice. In the spicy version, fennel mixes it up with both red pepper flakes and cayenne, as well as tangling with its cousin, in the form of a dash of anise liqueur. These are rich, fatty sausages. Grill them, serve with cooked onions and peppers, and let the grease run down your chin. Or serve them with pasta. Tonight, we fried up the crumbled sausage, then cooked portobello mushrooms, onions and carrots in the fat, then tossed them all with hearty whole wheat pasta, and served with a little cheese. Available in links or as bulk sausage.
Tags: fresh sausage, Italian, pork, spices