Calabrese, Onion and Spiced Vinegar - Chef Recipe by Marcello Kretzer

Ingredients

2 Calabrese sausages, sliced 3mm thick
35g red onion, sliced
10g cocktail onions, halved
1 Tbs herb mix
10 biquinho peppers
45mL spiced vinegar
15mL EVOO
Salt flakes
1 Tbs dill leaves
40mL red pepper coulis

Spiced vinegar:

50mL apple cider vinegar
30mL white wine vinegar
20mL red wine vinegar
1/6 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
2 star anise
20g caster sugar
1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Red pepper coulis:

4 red peppers, diced and deseeded
1/2 brown onion (medium size), diced
4 garlic cloves
4 red chillies, sliced (1 with no seeds)
1 tsp grated ginger
3L water
1 Tbs cooking salt

Herb mix:

1/2 tsp chopped thyme
1 Tbs chopped parsley
1 Tbs chopped basil
1/4 Tbs dry oregano
1/2 Tbs dried lemon zest
Pinch salt flakes

To finish:

15mL spiced vinegar
15mL EVOO
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs binquinho pepper
2 tsp salt flakes
Lemon juice to taste
Pinch cayenne pepper to taste
1/3 tsp xantham gum, if needed

Method

Spiced vinegar:

Toast all spices lightly. Add vinegars and sugar, stir well and bring it to a boil.

Let it cool in the pot with the spices and covered.

Strain and store.

Red pepper coulis:

Bring water and salt to a boil then add all ingredients. Cook until tender and strain well.

To finish:

Add pepper mix to the blender and blitz until smooth. Add all ingredients starting with biquinho, vinegar and EVOO.

Finish with cayenne and lemon - Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

For smoother texture you can pass the coulis through a fine sieve.

Store it and keep it in the fridge until needed.

In a medium-large hot fry pan, add sausage and caramelise each side well.

Add onions and salt and sauté for about 1 minute, or until onion just starts to soften.

On a high heat, deglaze pan with spiced vinegar and reduce until thick. Add herbs and taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.

Add coulis on the side of the serving dish and place sausage around it. Garnish with biquinho peppers and dill leaves.

TIP:

Add a little knob of cold butter to the pan before deglazing with vinegar. Serve with sourdough, or your favourite bread. Don’t forget your beverage!

Calabrese sausage and biquinho peppers can be found at Churras Butchers in Perth, who specialise in Latino American cuisine for the Australian market.