What’s Not To Like: Chorizo with Peppers and Onions, Polenta Gratin

Sausage with Peppers and Onions is one of my favorite combinations of all time. It works on pasta, it works on a crusty roll, it works all by itself, with a nice salad, really anywhere you see a sausage with some peppers and onions, you’re in for something delicious. Check it:

I decided to serve this with polenta, at the recomendation of one of How to Cook Everything‘s lists (I think it was “Dishes to Serve with Polenta” or something to that effect). To keep things interesting, I used the Polenta Gratin variation instead of the standard Polenta recipe. Basically, instead of mixing in the parmesan cheese at the end of cooking, you spread the polenta out on a baking sheet and sprinkle the top with cheese, then throw it in the broiler till it browns and gets a bit of a crispy layer on top. This tasted good, but all in all the crispiness wasn’t enough to truly set it apart from regular polenta; next time I think I’d skip this extra step and just plop the polenta down on the plate once it’s done.

Bittman’s method for cooking the peppers and onions is interesting, and leaves you with really tasty, dark brown caramelized onions, which I’ve never before been able to achieve with straight up sateeing. What you do is this: slice the onion, lay it out in the pan without any oil or anything, and turn the heat on. Let it cook, covered and undisturbed, for about 10 minutes or so until they’re starting to get some color and dry out a bit. Then it’s safe to add some oil and start moving them around a bit. They shouldn’t stick; if they do, I think they need more time. At this point, add the peppers, and cook until everything’s soft to your liking. I let mine go for a long time, because in my book, the browner the better. Here they are maybe halfway there, when they were still very pretty but not nearly tasty enough.

Alright, so then you set aside the veggies and cook the sausages in the same pan. Once they’re done, plate it up, and you’re good to go. If I weren’t so lazy I’d serve this with a salad. Maybe next time.