Buon Appetito! Sweet Italian Sausage

While we're waiting to see how those Heritage Auctions, with their verdammten 20% Buyer's Tax, turn out, I thought I would cook you a nice hearty meal to tide you over.

I am not sure I have ever posted any meals here, but I do like to make up recipes from bits and pieces of ones that I come across.

At the farmer's market near me, yesterday, they had some good looking Sweet Italian Sausage, so I picked some up, along with some other fixin's. 

And here: Sweet Italian Sausage a la Waco.

I made this up, so don't ask where I found it.

5 Sweet Italian Sausages

8 oz of inexpensive balsamic vinegar

8 oz water

9 T sugar

2 large sweet onions, chopped

2 red bell peppers, chopped

5 (small) red potatoes, mostly cooked, chunk chopped

olive oil

1 bud of chopped garlic

rosemary

italian herbs

red pepper flakes

cracked black pepper

reduced glaze of balsamic

shaved parmigiano reggiano

Mix the vinegar, water and sugar in a covered pan (the size ought to be right to just cover the sausages), and start to heat the mixture. Poke the sausage casings with a toothpick, front and back, and lay them in the pan; cover. Parboil the sausages (bring to boil, then back off to simmer for 15-20 minutes; turn and stir every now and then). 

While the sausages are parboiling, wash and mostly cook the potatoes (I used the microwave) so they are still holding their shape. Saute the onions in olive oil until they start to caramelize. Add the bell pepper. After they have started to soften and pick up a little color, add the potatoes, rosemary, herbs, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Mix well and continue heating.

Remove the sausages from the liquid and cut into quarters (halves and then lengthwise cuts), and grill them about 4-5 minutes on each side (I used an inside, counter-top grill; you could pan-grill them). 

Clear out the center of the pepper/onion/potato mixture and add some oil, then lightly brown the garlic and mix it in. Add the sausage and heat together for a few more minutes. 

Swirl the bottom of a plate with a generous amount of the balsamic glaze, and plate the mixture onto it. Top with some parmigiano shavings. 

I ate it with some toasted and buttered slices of pecan-cherry sourdough bread. 

It made 4 pretty generous servings. I'll reheat this in a fry-pan.