August 19: Chicken Sausage with Fennel and Onions

1/4 cup pine nuts
4 to 5 chicken sausages, any variety or brand
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, then thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white vermouth or 1/3 cup dry white wine
   A couple of handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Toast the nuts in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove them and reserve.

Pierce the sausages with a fork and arrange in the skillet. Add 1/4 inch water and 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Place the pan back on the heat and raise the temperature to medium-high. Allow the water to boil away completely, about 7 minutes. The EVOO left will coat and crisp the casings. Brown the sausages on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes.

While the sausages work, heat another medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO, the fennel, and the onions. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Cook the vegetables, stirring and tossing frequently, for 5 minutes, or until just tender. Add the white vermouth and deglaze the pan. Add the toasted nuts and the parsley and cook for another minute, then turn off the heat.

Slice the sausages thick, on an angle. Pile one quarter of the fennel and onions on each dinner plate and top with sliced sausages.

4 SERVINGS

This meal was excellent and very quick and easy to make. I got artichoke and mozzarella sausages. They were very cheesy and yummy. I changed the recipe to call for 4 or 5 sausages instead of 8 to 10. I also made some corn muffins to go on the side since this is a carb free recipe.