I love my pot.
No, not the leafy, green stuff. I love my big, red, 8 quart Martha Stewart cast iron dutch oven pot. First of all, it’s red, which is my favorite color. It just makes me happy when I see the cheerful, bold, shiny red hue. Second, when it’s not sitting in the cupboard but put to use with a great recipe, well, color me happy (red, of course).
The weather this Winter has just screamed for my little red pot to be used regularly, so as we head toward warmer weather (hopefully!!), my red pot will be used less as we head outdoors in favor of the grill, smoker, and cold dishes. I have to show it my love while I have the chance, and this stewed sausage recipe from January, 2015’s Food & Wine was a PERFECT use for my pretty little pot.
Oh Martha, I hope this delicious dish made in my little red pot would make you proud.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 1 hour |
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Like just about anything in made in a Dutch oven, unless you just ignore the dish completely, it's hard to screw it up. Of course, I have tested this theory for you, so you now know the trick. Pay a little attention to the delicious ingredients up front, and the pot takes care of the rest. Cold weather food has never been easier!
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- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 sweet Italian sausages
- 3 bulbs fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced (save fronds for garnish)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1-28 oz. can San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed (juices reserved)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 chiles de arbol (see recipe note re: chiles)
- In large Dutch oven (as mentioned above, I LOVE my Martha Stewart 8 oz. pot), heat olive oil over moderate heat.
- Add half of the sausages and cook over moderate heat until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with remaining sausages. You want to do this in 2 batches so as not to crowd the pan, which will result in uneven browning of the sausages. Remove sausages and set aside.
- Add the fennel wedges to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, onion, fennel seeds (see note about seeds below) and 1 tsp. salt and cook, stirring until fennel begins to brown, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes & their juices, wine, and chiles.
- Place sausages back into sauce; cover and cook for 45 minutes - 1 hour.
- Serve sausages & sauce over mashed potatoes, rice, or polenta. Garnish with fennel fronds. Enjoy the bounty of your Red Pot meal!
Just a few notes for consideration when making this super simple dish:
1. The original recipe calls for sweet Italian sausages, which I love. However, I happened to have on hand some German sausages that worked well, too, and produced a milder flavor if your family isn't a fan of the Italian variety. Like I said above, just about any type of sausage you like can be used here.
2. For the fennel seeds, it really does make a difference if you take the time to crush them. If you don't have a mortar and pestle (my little one works great for small scale jobs like this one!), you can crush them with the flat side of a knife, or even break them up with a quick pulse of a spice grinder. The oils in the seeds are released and significantly adds to the aroma and flavor of the dish.
3. For the chiles de arbol, you can generally find them in small bags with the Mexican spices or international ingredients section of your grocery store. Since they are dried, they last in your pantry for quite awhile and are handy for soups and dishes like this one.
4. While you can use any canned tomatoes, it is worth the splurge on the San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them in your grocery store. They have a sweeter and richer flavor than regular canned tomatoes, and add a beautiful color and richness to the stew.
My husband loves italian sausage dishes! This is right up his alley!
I love my pot too…mine is green, but not leafy and not a Martha…but I have named my Thatcher. I think Thatcher needs to make this this weekend. The whole meal is calling out to me.
I like sausage-based sauces better than ground beef I think… this looks good!
I love fennel and think it’s so under-used! So glad you included it in your wonderful -sounding recipe!
I’m in the market for a new dutch oven. I’ll have to check that one out. I have a red one that is on it’s last legs. It would be perfect to make this in. I adore sausage and fennel.
I really love mine. I use it for just about everything, and it cleans up very easily. Don’t know what I’d do without it!