This sausage bruschetta with fennel pesto is a testament to how sausage and fennel are a match made in heaven. The veggie's crispy texture and pronounced anise flavor complement the salty, spicy zing of sausage. However, instead of cooking the fennel, this recipe calls for blending it raw with almonds, capers, garlic, and olive oil into a pesto, which is then slathered onto the toasted bruschetta and topped with sausage crumbles.
To make this recipe, our head chef Joëlle Néderlants used Bra sausage, or salsiccia di Bra, a Slow Food-protected ingredient from Piedmont. This veal-based sausage dates back to the 16th century, where it was especially popular among Roero's Jewish population, who didn't consume pork. It eventually evolved into the version we know and love today which does pack a small amount of pork. In addition to being grilled, Bra sausage is often served and consumed raw. This sausage was so esteemed, that it was exempt from an 1847 royal decree that prohibited beef sausage production. If you can't find Bra sausage and/or you're just not into consuming raw sausage, you can use whatever sausage you wish and simply remove it from the casing and saute the crumbles in some olive oil and garlic before adding them to the final bruschetta.
Sausage Bruschetta With Fennel Pesto
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Skill Level: Easy
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients for 6 pieces of bruschetta
9 oz./250 g. Bra sausage
1 oz./30 g. fennel
5 tsp./25 g. peeled almonds
1 Tbsp./15 g desalted capers
6 slices of baguette
1/2 stalk of celery
extra-virgin olive oil
garlic
lemon
Method
Combine the fennel with the almonds, capers, a piece of peeled garlic, and ½ cup/100 g. of olive oil, and mix with an immersion blender until it takes on the consistency of a fine pesto.
Lightly toast the bread slices, and once finished, spread the pesto on top and then either crumble over the raw sausage or add sausage that's been removed from the casing and sauteed with olive oil and garlic.
Complete with sliced celery, fennel leaves, and grated lemon peel.
Sausage Bruschetta With Fennel Pesto
ADV