# Toppings for Italian sausage



## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I'm serving Italian sausage and I need ideas for toppings. And a good recipe for peppers and onions that's not too soggy.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

I usually put peppers and onions cut up (peppers into strips about an inch wide at the widest part and the onions cut into slices 1/8 inch more or less. I heat oil in a heavy frying pan and start cooking, first at high heat, stirring, then i cover and let them cook slowly, stirring occasionally. Never what i'd call "soggy" - they maintain their quality. Sometimes i add paprika to enhance the flavor and sometimes a few garlic cloves.

As for sausages (i don't like the fennel kind, and there's not much you can put them with without it all tasting only and exclusively of fennel even the sausages) one way is to make broccoli rabe or rape or whatever you call it there. Blanch the vegetable. Cook the sausages in a heavy frying pan with a little oil, pricking with a fork to release the fats inside. When they're cooked, take a bit more oil, a few garlic cloves, either sliced or smashed, and some hot red pepper flakes. Cook slowly a minute to release the flavor into the oil, then add the well-drained broccoli rape, and use it to "deglaze" the pan with all the nice sticky sausagy brown stuff, so it flavors the vegetable.

Serve them together.

I'm not sure what you mean by "toppings" since i can;t think of anything i'd put on _top_, but of course, peppers and onions are good with them. I like to make ital sausages in the oven (very hot, of course/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif) - i put a piece of parchment paper on a low-sided very large pan, lay sausages, potato wedges, peppers in wedges, and onion also in wedges, on the oiled parchment and cook. The potatoes get nice and brown and crispy, the peppers caramelize a little, the peppers come nice and roasted. Turn half way through.

You can also deglaze a pan you cooked sausage in with wine or beer, and then put the reduced sauce over the sausages, or reheat them in it.


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## chrisbelgium (Oct 2, 2010)

There are 3 things that go incredibly well with sausage that you could call topping if you like; Dijon mustard straight from the pot, a homemade chunky apple sauce or... (now in season!) rhubarb sauce, also somewhat chunky. Kids love the two last ones. Both can be served either hot or cold, in fact, cold rhubarb sauce is delicious.

- rhubarb sauce; peel the stalks a little. Just tear the peel at both ends toward the other end, it comes off quite easy. Cut in 3/4 inch chunks, put on medium fire, adding 2-3 tbsp of water to get it all started. Later on when cooking, taste and add sugar to taste and optional, a dash of good vanilla extract. Rhubarb can have quite a lot of sugar. Cook until tender.

- apple sauce; best to use ferm apples like Golden or even better, Jonagold, no Granny Smith & C°. Peel, cut in chunks. Add to a pot, add 2-3 tbsp of water and a good chunk of good butter and a little cinnamon. Later on, add sugar to taste and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Good Italian sausage does not need toppings only pairings that go well like peppers onions, mushrooms, artichoke good reggiano and mozzarella .  The sausage itself is used as a topping or ingredient in other dishes.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Hot, sweet or both? 

Serving them as a sandwich in a bun, or as a stand alone protein?

If serving in the bun, are you thinking of some sort of serve-yourself topping bar?

I'm not sure what you mean by "soggy," but you don't have to saute in oil.  You can grill them until soft cut them into whatever size you want, then dress them with a little bit very good oil, a splash of good vinegar, or a touch of vinaigrette.  

BDL


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Thanks all, I'm making Italian sausages as sandwiches. They're very popular here in NY especially at ball games. Taking a note from both Siduri and BDL I will roast the peppers and onions (with fennel hehe) and then toss with a little vinegrette! Sautéed rapini sounds like an awesome topping yum!!! The rhubarb sounds most interesting of all but hard to find close by though.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

another idea is to drizzle with a balsamic reduction....if for a sandwich, it's not quite as messy, just as tasty and doesn't get your bread soggy like a vinaigrette can do. I for one hate any kind of sogginess on my sandwich, as in next to the bread kind of sogginess...hot dogs are somehow excluded, but nothing else.

joey
not that it makes any difference other than curiosity, but are you grilling the sausages? are they really good house made ones from your local deli? If so, while at the same wonderful deli buy some nice roasted peppers, maybe some pepperoncini, maybe do a bruschetta style topping with olive caper tapenade or caprese style sandwich with fresh mozzarella, basil pesto,...or some of each. fresh basil leaves tucked in somehow or a small chiffonade on top......if you are making these ahead of time to travel with or to eat later, they should be just fine


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

_WOW_. All day long, and I'm still trying to understand this. _ I guess that's why restaurants have menus. _


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

durangojo said:


> another idea is to drizzle with a balsamic reduction....if for a sandwich, it's not quite as messy, just as tasty and doesn't get your bread soggy like a vinaigrette can do. I for one hate any kind of sogginess on my sandwich, as in next to the bread kind of sogginess...hot dogs are somehow excluded, but nothing else.
> 
> joey
> not that it makes any difference other than curiosity, but are you grilling the sausages? are they really good house made ones from your local deli? If so, while at the same wonderful deli buy some nice roasted peppers, maybe some pepperoncini, maybe do a bruschetta style topping with olive caper tapenade or caprese style sandwich with fresh mozzarella, basil pesto,...or some of each. fresh basil leaves tucked in somehow or a small chiffonade on top......if you are making these ahead of time to travel with or to eat later, they should be just fine


Yes the sausages will be grilled here at home for dinner. We have some nice Italian specialty stores here - sausages are easy to come by. Only I can't find the fennel variety that siduri doesn't like but me loves!


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Thanks everyone, the sausages were a hit.  I ended up using green, yellow and red peppers and sauteed them quickly with onions until they started to go limp.  I seasoned them with oregano, paprika and toasted fennel.  I squirted them with balsamic vinegar and they were great.

The rapini went over really well!  It's a great topping for sausage sandwiches.  Hubby bought way too much rapini and sausages though and now I have some that I need to figure out what to do with them aside from how I already served them.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

Zuppa! 

joey


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

Zuppa di rapini is a little strong, i think, for my taste.  But i love rapini.  .  I could eat rapini every day as a side dish.  I could make supper with a dish of rapini tossed in the frying pan with oil and garlic with bread and a piece of cheese.  They;re traditional with pasta too.  And pork chops - cook them in a frying pan and deglaze like the sausages.


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## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

No, not as a soup per se, but as part of a soup...i was thinking of a light chicken based soup with some of the sausages added(cooked first)and either ditalini or orzo....heartier soups such as minestrone or pasta fagiole with sausage are also good anytime of the year as it's never too hot for me to eat soup.
I agree, I think i could eat rapini every day and not tire of it.....sauteed with roasted garlic, pine nuts, s&p and a nice splash of vinegar or lemon juice is one of my favorites.....oh, crushed red pepper flakes too
also great in pasta dishes....cream mellows it

joey


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Oh a nice Italian wedding soup might be good. Gotta get some chicken? Me, I don't love rapini I really don't. But hubby does.


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## siduri (Aug 13, 2006)

The wedding soup or christmas soup or whatever it is you're thinking of, Koukou, is usually made either with cardoons or escarole (zuppa di scarola).  You can just boil the scarola with onion, carrot and celery in water and eat it over toasted bread or with rice, (no preliminary frying in oil, it actually kinds of ruins it) or use chicken broth, add little meatballs, or whatever you like.  I suppose you could use rapini, but i think they have too strong a flavor for soup, but that's just my own taste.  Nice with pasta though.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

I know it's not exactly as it is usually made but just trying to think of how to use up this rapini.


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## BobsBurgers89 (Jul 13, 2018)

Put original red hot on these


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

Since this 5 year old post has been necro-revived I'll second the use of basil to offset the foul and almost monochromatic effect of fennel in the typical Italian sausage. That and crispy shallot. And speaking of hot sauce, any hot sauce blended with butter.


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## toddhicks209 (Nov 14, 2017)

Italian sausage works well with pasta dishes. I don't have the recipe I printed out off hand but I used this type of sausage to cook a dish a few months ago.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Wow old thread, now I want some sausages! With fennel!

Another good topping I have discovered is cole slaw, it always worked well with hot dogs for me but on spicy sausages it's the BEST!!


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

After having gone to NJ/Philadelphia a few times, I really like broccoli rabe with pork. The bitter greens are a nice counter to rich fatty sausage. For a similar reason I like sour kraut.. and for the same reason I like mustard vinegar sauces or cole slaw as you mention when I'm having pulled pork.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

A local sausage purveyor sells a Tuscan red wine sausage that I really like. No fennel but extra garlic and black pepper. But I also like ones with fennel on occasion. 

mjb.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

I don't get you all. You're like the guys in a bar I work. Nobody can leave a good thing alone.

Either grill or sizzle up your sausages. If there is some grease-jus you can sop that up with your bread. YES ... BREAD ... Italian bread. If you want cheese ... mozzarella or provolone. Peppers ... sweet and/or hot; the hot has to be a decent brand that includes all the good stuff. ... THAT'S IT. ... YOU DON'T MESS WITH A GOOD THING.

_"We work in kitchens ... It ain'te rocker surgery."._​


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Now I’m hungry...

How about a little red sauce too?


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

OK ... _If it's off the grill and you've got no grease-jus_ ... but only a little.


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

koukouvagia said:


> Wow old thread, now I want some sausages! With fennel!
> 
> Another good topping I have discovered is cole slaw, it always worked well with hot dogs for me but on spicy sausages it's the BEST!!


Mustard and kraut. Agree the slaw and hot stuff compliment eachother nicely. Typically though with sausage in general, much as with the hot-dog variety, I add fine dice onion, red or white depending entirely on the mood, mustard and pickle relish.

I'll second the grease-jus for sausage in general, and the other wonderful gooey excretions you get, that absolutely most everyone insanely seems to toss and otherwise ignore. Especially with the typical Italian with the awfully imbalanced use of fennel, which I believe would work much better it it were toasted before tossing into the sausage. You really have to tame it somehow to my sensibilities.


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## drirene (Dec 30, 2015)

koukouvagia said:


> Wow old thread, now I want some sausages! With fennel!
> Another good topping I have discovered is cole slaw, it always worked well with hot dogs for me but on spicy sausages it's the BEST!!


LOL! Wise Owl, I understand you love my detested okra. I humbly beg you to keep them off of spicy sausages lest you start a horrible new trend!


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

We're talking _ITALIAN SAUSAGE_ here ... NOT NO freakin' bratwurst or Polish.

*NO* diced onions, mustard or pickle relish. Keep your freakin' kraut, cole slaw or freakin' crispy shallots. _CRIMINEY PETE!_ It's *ITALIAN SAUSAGE* dammit! _Blasphemers ..._ ALL OF YOU!!!

_*** fo_r Rick ... _"grease-jus"_ is the greasy meat gravy in the skillet left when you're sizzling them up in a pan. Oh yeah ... it's a heart attack looking for a station ... but tasty-delicious none the less. It's what you get on your bread when they toast it in a good place for beefs when they sizzle the sausages on a flat-top.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

iceman said:


> I don't get you all. You're like the guys in a bar I work. Nobody can leave a good thing alone.
> 
> Either grill or sizzle up your sausages. If there is some grease-jus you can sop that up with your bread. YES ... BREAD ... Italian bread. If you want cheese ... mozzarella or provolone. Peppers ... sweet and/or hot; the hot has to be a decent brand that includes all the good stuff. ... THAT'S IT. ... YOU DON'T MESS WITH A GOOD THING.
> 
> _"We work in kitchens ... It ain'te rocker surgery."._​


Whatever happened to "to each his own?" I for one would never sully a good sausage sandwich with cheese. Kraut is not something I've ever liked. And I've got fennel in my garden that's crying it's eyes out because of y'all.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Iceman you've gone off the rails. How about you go grill your Italian Sausage and eat it with bread. I'll smoke it and have it sliced with my brisket and pulled pork. Some dill pickle and if you MUST have bread.. plain old Martha White sandwich slices.. none of that fancy crusty Italian bread that cuts the roof of your mouth.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)




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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

Looks pokey


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## rick alan (Nov 15, 2012)

koukouvagia said:


> Whatever happened to "to each his own?" I for one would never sully a good sausage sandwich with cheese. Kraut is not something I've ever liked. And I've got fennel in my garden that's crying it's eyes out because of y'all.


In desperate self-defense here I did state, ""my" sensibilities." My heart felt apologies to your Fennel denizens whom I did not wish to offend.


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

You don't smoke Italian sausage. You don't eat Italian sausage on some kinda freakin' buffet plate with a bunch of other meat. If " ... fancy crusty Italian bread cuts the roof of your mouth ...", Well ... I don't know what to say _(I do ... but I'm not in a mood for getting in trouble)_.

































Now those last 2 were "Combo's" ... that's where you put the beef on there too. I'm not all that sure this crowd is all that ready for that.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Dang...

I like mine hot and wet... and if dressed appropriately I like hot and dipped. 

Mmmmmmmm.


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## eastshores (Oct 23, 2008)

iceman said:


> You don't smoke Italian sausage. You don't eat Italian sausage on some kinda freakin' buffet plate with a bunch of other meat.


Yes I do and it's delicious.. see I circled them for you.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Nice BBQ, eastshores. I’ve grilled and smoked Italians before (sorry, ice...I’ve since repented) but the no-fennel variety. Is that what you use?


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## Iceman (Jan 4, 2011)

That's _YOU_ ... a heathen ... a blasphemer ... a neanderthal ...

"Yes I do and it's delicious.. see I circled them for you."


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