Traditional Catanese recipe: sausage and braised (affogati) broccoli, a humble and characteristic dish of Sicilian cuisine. A few ingredients and slow cooking give us a very distinctive, tasty dish. Ideal to prepare during winter as a rustic and appetizing starter, but also as a main course to serve at lunch or dinner. Braised broccoli with sausage, which are a must at Christmas dinners, owe their name to the particular cooking method. Tradition holds that they are cooked covered and “suffocated” with a plate, slowly stewing without ever being turned, just as it was done in the past when food was cooked on the stove. Cooking this way traps the aromas and juices of the sausage and broccoli in the pot, giving an incredible flavor to the finished dish. Ready to run to the kitchen and try them with me? Here is the recipe, but before you rush to the stove remember that if you want to keep up with my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).

Also check out:
–Pasta with braised broccoli and breadcrumbs;
–Braised cauliflower;
–Scacciata with broccoli (Sicilian recipe).

Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very inexpensive
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Cooking time: 50 Minutes
Portions: 6 People
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

2.2 lbs broccoli
2.2 lbs sausage
1 onion (large)
to taste extra virgin olive oil
to taste black pepper

Preparation

Clean the broccoli by removing the tough part of the stem and cut them lengthwise without cutting through the florets, then rinse well and let drain.
Slice an onion.
Arrange a layer of broccoli in a frying pan or a low wide pot and add half of the sliced onion, then place the sausage on top and continue with onion and broccoli. Add a bit of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Add salt only if needed, as the sausage is already quite salty and you may overdo it. Cover the pan with its lid, turn on the heat and cook for 45 minutes over very low heat without touching anything.
After 45 minutes, there will be a broth formed at the bottom; strain it and set it aside. Turn the broccoli as if you were flipping an omelette: place the lid on the pan, invert the contents onto the lid, then carefully slide everything back into the pan. Adjust salt if necessary, add the reserved broth and continue cooking for another 10 minutes over high heat, or until the cooking water has completely evaporated and the broccoli have browned a bit in their cooking juices together with the sausage.
If you wish, you can add half a glass of red wine at the beginning of cooking; it will make them more flavorful and aromatic.
The sausage with braised broccoli is ready; let rest for 15 minutes and serve hot or warm.
Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and consume within 24 hours after reheating.