- 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
- Special equipment: 4 (6- to 8-inch) wooden skewers; a large (2-burner) well-seasoned ridged grill pan (preferably cast iron)
- Accompaniment: mustard
- 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.