Spicy Bean Stew With Sausages

This recipe is from The River Cottage Family Cookbook. I've changed it slightly. The original recipe calls for 8 pork sausages and a 14 ounce can of plum tomatoes. I use a pound of regular bulk sausage and a can of Italian or garlic flavored chopped tomatoes. (Use whatever flavor sausage and tomatoes you like.) Also, the original recipe says to let the stew simmer for one to two hours. The most I've allowed it to simmer is 30 minutes. It's a very, very good stew.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3  tablespoons olive oil or 3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  lb bulk sausage
• 1  medium onion
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1 (15 1/2ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 1/2ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1  teaspoon brown sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme or 2  sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 (14 1/2ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
•  salt
•  fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Form sausage into approximately 1-inch meatballs. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add sausages and fry them, turning them over until they are completely browned. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. While the sausages are browning, peel the onion and garlic and chop them as small as you can. Add the onion to the pot, turn the heat to low, cover the pot and sweat the onion, frying it gently in the pan for around 10 minutes, stirring from time to time so it doesn't catch on the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the garlic and fry for another two or three minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, nutmeg, cayenne, cloves and thyme.
4. Add the tomatoes and beans. Return sausages to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well and turn the heat up to medium. When the stew starts to simmer, put the lid on, turn the heat down and let it bubble gently. Stir occasionally. Allow stew to simmer for thirty minutes.