My nose stopped me dead in my tracks on the Wildwood, New Jersey boardwalk, it was a magical crossroads where all the aromas of boardwalk food came together: pizza, sausage with onions and peppers and French fries. Liken my image at that moment to Mary Tyler Moore twirling around in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, just before she tosses her hat (or was it a beret) in the air, awe struck of her surroundings. I turned to “the husband” and said “here, right here, in this food triangle, is where I want my ashes to go. I want to enjoy these aromas both here and now and my hereafter".
It is at this section of the boardwalk where there are food stands on both sides with a broad intersecting street that has even more food vendors that creates such intense aromas. No matter what time of day or night, I must stop for an Italian Sausage Sandwich – it is the full blast bouquet of the fried onions and peppers that make me salivate.
I had a hankering for one them sammiches* yesterday, so off I went to the food store for the crusty 6 inch sub rolls, Italian sausage, and a large green pepper.
How to Make an Awesome Italian Sausage Sammich
5 to 6 Italian Sausages (mild or hot) – I do mild
1/3 cup water
1 Tablespoon Pure olive oil
1 large Onion, peeled, halved and slice in thin half moons
1 large Green pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1/3 to 1/2 cup Tomato sauce, tomato puree or pasta sauce (choose 1)
Optional
¼ cup White Wine
5 to 6 6 inch sub rolls, similar in crustiness to Keyser rolls (image 1)
(do not use hotdog rolls)
1. Take a fork and poke holes in the sausages on both sides
2. Put a 1/3 cup of water in a 10 or 12 inch sauté pan (you will need a lid to the pan). Add the sausages and put on a medium to medium high heat and cover. This will cook the sausage and allow some of the fat to run out of the sausage. This should about 10 minutes.
3. In an another 10 to 12 inch sauté pan, heat the olive oil, add the onions and peppers and heat over medium heat, put the lid on and sweat them. As they become soft add the tomato sauce, tomato puree or pasta sauce and optional white wine. Put the lid back on the pan and let it simmer.
4. Take the sausages from their liquid and add them to the onion-pepper mixture and let them simmer so all the flavors meld. (by this time the smell of the onions and peppers will be driving you crazy).
5. Prepare your rolls. Tear out some of the bread inside the roll so to create a cradle for the sausage and peppers. (image 2) I first put some of the pepper and onion mixture, then the sausage and top with more onion and peppers. (image 3 and image 4)
6. Mangia baby, enjoy that sammich! (image 5)
image 1
image 2
image 3
image 4
image 5*sammiches: What the husband calls a sandwich
Serves: 2-4 people
Comments