GRILLED SAUSAGE SANDWICHES WITH FENNEL AND SWEET ONION

Grilled Sausage Sandwiches with Fennel and Sweet Onion image

Yield Makes 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 lb coiled thin Italian sausage (sometimes called luganega)
1/2 fennel bulb (sometimes labeled "anise"), thinly sliced
1/2 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 hamburger buns
Accompaniment: mustard
Special Equipment
4 (6- to 8-inch) wooden skewers; a large (2-burner) well-seasoned ridged grill pan (preferably cast iron)

Steps:

Uncoil sausage and cut into 4 equal lengths. Re-coil each piece into a round and secure with a skewer horizontally through coil.
Toss together fennel, onion, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
Lightly oil grill pan and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Arrange sausages and fennel and onion in grill pan (vegetables can be in a shallow pile). Grill, turning sausages over once and tossing vegetables occasionally, until vegetables are softened and charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer vegetables to a bowl and continue to grill sausages until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes more.
Remove skewers and serve sausages, topped with fennel and onion, on buns.