Agrodolce onions with aubergines, polenta and salsiccia sausage

Salsiccia is an universal name for different types of fresh Italian sausage. It usually refers to a sausage made with minced or ground pork meat, pork fat, and numerous spices. If you are living in Norway, I can recommend the Jacob´s  Salsiccia sausage.

Agrodolce [ˌaɡroˈdoltʃe] sounds like a big word, but it is a term referring to a traditional sweet and sour sauce in Italian cuisine . In this recipe we caramelise sugar and add white balsamic vinegar to make the sauce.

Anyhoo, one of my favourite recipes for Salsiccia sausage is from Food & Travel magazine.  The creamy parmesan polenta and sweet and sour onions and aubergine mix works extremely well with the Salsiccia sausage.

I have adapted the recipe slightly as I felt that there was not enough sauce, you can never have enough sauce!!!

Bon apetite!

You’ll need

  • • For the Agrodolce onions
  • ¼ cup x castor sugar
  • 1 cup x white balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup x water
  • ¼ cup x extra virgin olive oil
  • 400g x shallots, peeled. (If they are big, slice them in halve)
  • 3 Tbsp x capers, drained if brined, rinsed if salted
  • 3 Tbsp x pine nuts, toasted
  • 300g x aubergine, cut into 1cm cubes
  • small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves removed and roughly chopped
  • salt and pepper for seasoning
  • • For the polenta
  • 300ml x milk
  • 500ml x water
  • 180g x polenta
  • 50g butter, cubed
  • 50g x parmesan, grated
  • • To serve
  • 500g x salsiccia (Fresh Italian pork sausage), grilled or fried

Method

  1. Grill or fry your sausages until golden brown. Keep warm until you are ready to plate.
  2. For the agrodolce mixture, put the sugar in a small pan over a low heat and watch until the sugar caramelises. When evenly brown, take off the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. It will splatter, so be careful. Put to one side.
  3. Heat halve of the olive oil in a large pan and add the aubergine and fry until golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
  4. Heat the rest of the olive oil and fry the onions for about 8 minutes until evenly golden and almost cooked.
  5. Add the agrodolce mixture and water, cover and continue to cook on a low heat until the liquid has thickened a little and the onions are cooked through.
  6. Fold in the aubergine, capers, pine nuts and parsley and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Just before you’re ready to serve, prepare the polenta.
  8. Heat the milk with 500ml water. Just before it starts to boil, add the polenta in a slow steady stream.
  9. Whisk continuously so it doesn’t go lumpy or burn on the bottom of the pan.
  10. Turn the heat to very low and cook, stirring, for a few minutes until the polenta comes away from the sides of the pan.
  11. Take off the heat and stir in the butter and parmesan. Season with salt.
  12. Spoon onto 4 plates and top with the onions. Serve with the salsiccia sausages.

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