Hot Diggity Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 fennel head, fronds removed and reserved, bulb thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 ribs celery from the heart, stalks thinly sliced, leaves roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hot Italian sausage links
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 4 ciabatta rolls, split open like a book (not cut all the way through)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preparation
Pre-heat the broiler.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the fennel bulb and fronds, red onion, celery stalks and leaves and parsley.
Place a small pot over medium-high heat with the sugar and vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, swirling it to dissolve the sugar, then remove the pot from the heat and pour the vinegar mixture over the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat the veggies. Let the mixture rest.
Place a medium size skillet over medium-high heat with about a quarter inch of water. Add the sausages and EVOO to the pan and bring the liquid to a bubble. Cook the sausages in the boiling water, turning occasionally, until the water has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Once the water has reduced away, let the sausage casings crisp in the pan until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
While the sausages are cooking up, place the rolls onto a baking sheet, cut-side up, and toast under the broiler until golden brown. While they're toasting, place a small pot over medium heat with the butter and crushed garlic. Melt the butter and then brush the garlic-butter mixture over the toasted rolls. Sprinkle the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the cut sides of the rolls and place them back under the broiler to melt and lightly brown the cheese.
To serve, split the sausages open lengthwise like a book and lay one into each roll. Top with a scoopful of the slaw salad.
