Stir Fry Cooking: Not Just For Asian Food!

Want to try something different with sausages, other than simply serving them as a sandwich or in a pasta sauce? Try making an Italian-style sausage stir fry with vegetables!

If you think stir-fry and wok cooking is just for Asian recipes, think again. Stir-frying is great for all different kinds of flavor combinations and ingredients, and my recipe below is just one example. The sausage of your choice, potatoes, and mixed vegetables are quick-cooked in a wok or deep skillet with a light tomato sauce, making for an easy weeknight meal. Why not give it a try?

You can use whatever kind of sausage you prefer or have on hand for this recipe: pork, chicken, spicy or sweet Italian, etc. My mother has been raising pastured pigs for several years so I always have plenty of delicious pork sausage available to me from our butcher; I chose to use a sweet Italian-style pork sausage for this recipe which had a nice fennel-spice flavoring to it. Just keep in mind that you may need to adjust the final seasoning of this stir-fry based on the type of sausage you use; some may need more or less salt and pepper depending on the sausage preparation. Likewise, you may need to use more or less cooking oil depending on the fat content of your sausage.

Italian Sausage Stir Fry

Serves: 4

Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage, intact (don’t cut before cooking if you want to keep the clean shape of the slices)
• 2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 pound potatoes, diced into cubes about 1/2″ in size
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup vegetable or pork stock
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 small head of broccoli, cauliflower or broccoflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 sweet pepper (red, yellow or orange), sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup pureed or chopped tomatoes
• Fresh parsley
• Salt and fresh ground pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve.

1. Brown the sausage

Getting my mise en place together…

Before you begin cooking, make sure you have your mise en place ready and have chopped and prepped all ingredients.

Heat a small amount of oil in your wok or skillet, then add the sausage link. Brown on both sides, about 10 minutes total.

2. Add the potatoes

Next, add the diced potatoes to the wok and cook until browned and beginning to get tender, about 7-8 minutes. Add additional oil only if necessary to keep the potatoes from sticking and burning; otherwise the released fat from the sausage should be sufficient for browning.

3. Add wine and stock, and finish cooking sausage

Cut the sausage in half to check on its doneness. Add the wine and stock; allow the wine to evaporate off and the stock to be absorbed into the potatoes, no more than 3 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate to cool long enough to handle. Remove potatoes from wok and set aside; you may wish to keep them in the oven at a “WARM” setting until ready to finish the dish.

The potatoes should be nicely browned but not burnt!

4. Stir-fry the onions and garlic

Add another tablespoon or so of cooking oil to the wok. Stir-fry the onion and garlic until softened but not browned, 2-3 minutes.

5. Add the cauliflower or broccoli

Next add the broccoli or cauliflower (or broccoflower, as I’ve used here) and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.

6. Add the pepper strips

Next add the bell pepper strips and cook for another few minutes, until the vegetables are all becoming tender (but not too soft!)

Meanwhile, slice the sausage into thick discs so that it is ready to add back into the stir fry.

7. Return the sausage to the wok with the tomatoes

Add the now sliced sausage back to the wok, along with the pureed tomatoes. Combine all ingredients until warmed through; check seasoning and add salt and fresh ground pepper as necessary.

8. Serve and eat!

Serve the finished stir fry in deep dishes or bowls by placing the potatoes at the bottom of the dish, and then topping with the vegetable and sausage mixture. Garnish with the fresh parsley and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!