Spring Fry with Grilled Italian Sausage, New Potatoes, Fava Beans and Asparagus
Serves 4

Spring Fry with Grilled Italian Sausage, New Potatoes, Fava Beans, and Asparagus

Inspiration

An April visit to the Solvang, CA farmer’s market offered small, new spring potatoes, fresh asparagus, garlic chives and glorious fava beans. The sausage is our Northwest favorite, Isernio’s Mild Italian that traveled frozen in a cooler because it is just too good to leave behind.

Hint

1. This is just the kind of recipe for frozen, prepared fava beans


Fava Beans with and without skin

2. When you cook bacon, refrigerate or freeze the grease to add smoky flavor to recipes like this that call for potatoes.
3. This recipe is quick and easy if the ingredients are prepped in advance.

Ingredients

16-18 tiny Yukon Gold, red News or fingerling potatoes, washed and sliced ¼” thick
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs. Canola oil
4, ¼” slices spring sweet white onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
1½ cups blanched and skinned fava beans
8 stalks fresh asparagus, blanched and cooled in ice water, then cut into 2” tips with stalk. Cut the narrow parts of stems into disks,
½ cup chopped fresh garlic chives (early find at farmers markets) or Italian parsley
8 fresh, Italian style sausages

Procedure

1. Put sliced potatoes in a heavy skillet large enough to hold all ingredients. Add about ¾ cup cold water, cover and cook at medium high heat until potatoes are just soft enough to prick easily with a fork (5-6 minutes). Drain water off, turn heat way down and dry out the potatoes in the pan for another 5 minutes.
2. Add oils and turn up heat to medium high. Add onions and cook until potatoes are browned and crisp and onions are cooked.
3. While onions and potatoes are frying, grill sausages.
4. When potatoes etc. and sausages are cooked, add fava beans and asparagus to potatoes, tossing gently to keep them from burning as they finish cooking.
   

   Spring Fry with Grilled Italian Sausage, New Potatoes, Fava Beans and Asparagus

   Add chives and cook for about 1 minute.
5. Serve on heated plates with sausages on the side.