Stewed Sweet Sausages in Fennel-Tomato Sauce

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 sweet Italian sausages (4 1/2 pounds)
• 3 fennel bulbstrimmed, each bulb cut into 8 wedges, fronds chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• Kosher salt
• One 28-ounce can San Marzano whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands, juices reserved
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 pequin chiles (see Note) or 2 chiles de arbol
• Creamy polenta, for serving

1. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil.
2. Add half of the sausages and cook over moderate heat, turning, until browned all over, 5 minutes.
3. Transfer to a plate; repeat with the remaining sausages.
4. Add the fennel wedges to the casserole and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring, until the fennel is lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the wine and chiles.
7. Tuck the sausages into the sauce.
8. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
9. Uncover and simmer until the sausages are cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 45 minutes longer.
10. Garnish the stew with fennel fronds and serve over polenta.

extravirgin olive oil, sweet italian sausages, bulbstrimmed, onion, garlic, fennel seeds, kosher salt, tomatoes, white wine, pequin chiles, polenta

Taken from www.foodandwine.com/recipes/stewed-sweet-sausages-fennel-tomato-sauce (may not work)