Sausage and Peppers

Before every game at Fenway Park™, Chef Matt Jennings (founder of Full Heart Hospitality) always stops for a hot, steaming sausage and peppers sandwich from The Sausage Guy on Lansdowne Street. But this game-day recipe is easy to make at home. Matt’s version includes braising the sausages and vegetables in a combination of beer and broth until the sausages are succulent and the vegetables are jammy and thick. Pile it all on soft potato rolls with a generous amount of yellow mustard and a sprinkle of  parsley – not traditional, but it adds a bit of brightness to a ballpark favorite.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

6-8 fresh sausages, room temperature

1 pound baby bell peppers, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

6 ounces lager-style beer

1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

Pinch red chili flakes

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, coarsely chopped

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6-8 sausage rolls

Yellow mustard

Fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausages. Cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Increase heat to medium and add the peppers and onion to the pot. Stir the vegetables, scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated on the bottom of the pot. Cook until the vegetables have softened and are beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the beer, stock, mustard seeds, paprika, chili flakes, bay leaf and maple syrup, and stir to combine.

Return the sausages and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven, gently submerging the sausages in the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot with the lid, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase the heat to medium and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pepper/onion mixture looks jammy and thick, about 10 minutes more. Stir in the thyme and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Gently warm the rolls and slice. Spoon some of the pepper and onion mixture into each roll. Top with a sausage, a drizzle of mustard and garnish with parsley.