Yesterday I asked the Internets for advice on what to make for dinner, but before I waited for an answer, it came to me: Sausage and Peppers. It's a heartburn-filled meal, basically a hero minus the bread, that I had for the first time in March 2008 after a wedding. It's so simple, but so satisfying, and you can eat as much or as little as you want. 
I didn't have a definitive recipe to go by. I found recipes on the internets that called for red wine or tomatoes or all sorts of other stuff, but I ended up using this Epicurious recipe.I added five Italian sausage links to 2 tablespoons of hot oil and let them turn this incredibly appetizing shade of gray (ick).
When they seemed adequately browned, I added green peppers, red peppers and red onions. BTW, Sean started crying the second he sliced into the red onion. It was pretty tragic. I let that cook for a little while, turning and re-turning the links and tossing the peppers and onions around. I also added oregano, basil, two cloves of minced garlic and salt and pepper. Eventually, I felt satisfied.
So I took the links out. Mistake. They were still pink in the middle and basically had to be cooked until they looked burnt on the outside. This is one of many times I wished I had a grill.
We decided to eat on our little porch and it was a lovely, hearty summer meal. I paired mine with Magic Hat #9, which I thought would be awesome, but for some reason, was not. Does anyone have a beer they would recommend to pair with something this spicy?Also, in case anyone is curious, the adorable dragonfly votive is from Ten Thousand Villages.
That's a tough one. Sausages almost always go well with a good porter or stout, but with it being summer and all, something that dark is probably gonna be a bit heavy. You might want to try a decent lager or light (or even pale) ale. A regular ol' Sam Adams Boston lager would probably work ... or a Newcastle Brown Ale.
ReplyDeleteHoly smoke, I really want a beer now.
Also, next time you decide to pan-fry sausages, it's not a terrible idea to slice 'em up ahead of time. Slicing raw sausage can be messy, though, so put the whole package in the freezer for an hour or so before you slice them so that all that ground meat doesn't gush out all over the place.
ReplyDeletei use rachel ray's (i know) method of cooking sausage. Put them in a deeper pan in about an inch of water and add some olive oil. in a few minutes of cooking the water (which has helped cook the sausages through) has evaporated and the oil is helping brown/crisp up the casing. works every time.
ReplyDeletegood tips, all. I had considered pre-slicing, but wasn't sure how to go about it. I don't think I even own a deeper pan....more things to register for.
ReplyDeleteWhen I make sausages, I either start them out on a very low heat and let them go for a very long time, and then turn up the pan to brown them, or -- and I prefer this -- boil them in beer first.
ReplyDeleteYour picture made me crave something light and sparkly like a Peroni or a Rolling Rock.
Looks delicious!
when cutting onions it helps to whistle... crazy, i know, but it works... i think partially it forces you to breathe more through your mouth
ReplyDeleteSausages make me nervous but yours look good!
ReplyDelete