Sausage by Victoria Wise Read Free Book Online Page B

a plate and set aside in a warm place.
    In the same pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until the whites are firm, about 5 minutes, or until done as you like. Set the pan aside in a warm place with the eggs still in it.
    Cut the bread loaf crosswise into thirds, then split each section lengthwise. Place, cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Lightly brush the cut sides of the bread with oil, then divide the cheese evenly among them. Sprinkle the chile flakes over the cheese, arrange the tomato slices on the cheese, and then top evenly with the sausage.
    Bake until the cheese melts and the bread begins to turn golden around the edges, 7 to 8 minutes.
    Place a fried egg atop each “pizza” and serve right away.
    Tuscan Sausage
    There’s almost no turn in Tuscany that doesn’t provide some sensory joy. Driving its curvy roads through low hills gently swelling up from narrow, verdant valleys, you discover olive groves that produce some of the world’s finest olive oil and vineyards that yield some of the world’s most renowned wines. Exploring the region’s old towns and cities on foot, you wind your way through dozens of museums full of famous artworks and wander into back-alley churches and quaint shops stacked with Tuscan treasures. And everywhere, there is fabulous food. The Tuscans have long produced delicious
salumi
, that special form of pork cookery, called
charcuterie
in France, that comprises prosciutto, mortadella,
soppressata,
salamis and other cured meats, along with fresh sausages particular to the region. In this recipe, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella flavor fresh pork sausage to deliver the taste of Tuscany.
    MAKES 1 POUND
    14 ounces ground pork
    2 ounces salt pork, fat part only, minced
    ¼ cup finely chopped unseasoned olive oil–packed sun-dried tomatoes
    ⅓ cup lightly packed coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 2 ounces)
    1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed
    3 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
    ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, if needed
    Place all the ingredients except the salt in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Cook and taste a small sample, then add the salt if needed. Leave in bulk and shape as directed in individual recipes or stuff into hog casing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using to allow the flavors to blend.
    Sauté or grill, or cook as directed in individual recipes. (The uncooked sausage will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it does not freeze well.)

Minestrone Soup with Tuscan Sausage andArugula Pesto
    Minestrone has a long history in Italian cuisine and, not surprisingly, many interpretations. Old tales recount how Roman soldiers lived on a diet of minestrone and chickpeas, a strange assertion since many of the soup’s classic ingredients—tomatoes, potatoes, beans—are New World foods that were not available at the time. By the end of the sixteenth century, the core concept had become a tasty mixture of vegetables, including dried beans, with pasta and/or potatoes. If you can find them, use borlotti (cranberry) beans, a specialty of Tuscany.
    Swirling a pesto of arugula, rather than the more prosaic basil, into the minestrone imparts a refreshing change. Other unusual elements in the soup are a tiny spritz of vinegar and the use of shallot instead of garlic. The pesto is also good for dolloping on plain boiled potatoes or a simply cooked fish fillet or chicken breast, or on bruschetta, for serving as an appetizer.
    SERVES 6
    Pesto
    ½ cup pine nuts
    1 large shallot, cut up
    2 cups packed arugula leaves
    1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
    ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
    1½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
    ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
    ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    Soup
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    1 yellow or white onion,