Sausage Stew

By jenlin

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 good-quality sausages (Italian style if possible)
• 1 onion, sliced into thin half-moons
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 8 new potatoes, halved or quartered, skin on
• One 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes
• Two 15-ounce cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• Sugar to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• One 5-ounce bag baby spinach
• 10 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Rosemary and Cheddar Soda Breads, recipe follows, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

In a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and sear on all sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the rest of the olive oil to the pot, turn the heat down to medium and add in the onions, carrots and celery. Add a pinch of salt, which will help draw some moisture out of the vegetables and keep them from browning too much. Cook gently, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes, being sure to scrape up all the caramelized sausage bits on the bottom of the pot.
Add the garlic and rosemary and continue to sweat until the garlic is fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes more. If the vegetables begin to brown, turn down the heat.
Add in the sausages, potatoes and plum tomatoes, breaking apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon or your hands as they go into the pot. Fill the empty tomato can halfway with water, then add this water to the pot. Stir well and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through, adding a few tablespoons of water if the sauce begins to look dry. Add in the butter beans and stir gently so as not to break up the beans. Taste the casserole and add salt, pepper, sugar and red pepper flakes to taste.
Just before serving, add in the spinach and stir until just wilted. Plate into individual bowls and garnish with basil and lemon zest. Serve with the Rosemary and Cheddar Soda Breads.