Nachos with sweet and spicy meat stew and pickled onions

Ingredients:

Stew

• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 2.5cm cubes.
• 2 onions, diced into 2.5 cm cubes.
• 1 small fennel root, remove greens and tough middle stem and cut into 2.5cm cubes.
• 2 cups tomato paste
• 2 cups rich red wine
• 450 g raw hot Italian sausage, casing removed
• 450 g raw sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with string

Pickled onions

• 3/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp coarse salt
• 2-3 large drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1 red onion, sliced ​​into very thin rings

Assembly

• 1 large bag of corn tortilla chips
• 0.5 - 3/4 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
• 0.5 - 3/4 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1 cup tightly packed chopped arugula
• 0.5 tbsp. mascarpone cheese (110 gr.)

Preparation:

1. Stew: Pulse garlic, celery, onion and fennel in a food processor until a coarse paste forms.
   
   Grease a wide, deep frying pan with olive oil. Add the pureed vegetables, season with salt, and heat over medium-high heat. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables begin to stick to the pan. A crust should form on the vegetables. Stir and scrape the bottom occasionally, then cook again until crisp. Be patient and take your time; this will produce a richer flavor. This step can take up to 30 minutes.
2. Once a nice brown crust forms, scraping it up a couple of times, add the tomato paste and stir. Let it brown slightly and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes. There's not much liquid in the pan at this point, and the vegetables may burn faster, so be careful and stir quickly. Add the wine, stir, and scrape up any remaining browned bits. Cook until about half the wine has evaporated, 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the hot and sweet sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Add enough water to the pan to come about 1 cm above the meat. Stir well, then add the bay leaf and a bunch of thyme. Taste, add salt, and taste again; the stew isn't ready yet, but it should be delicious. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce the heat. Continue cooking, checking the stew periodically, for 3 hours, tasting and adding more water as needed.
5. Pickled onions:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine red wine vinegar with 1/2 cup cold water. Add sugar, salt, and hot sauce. Add chopped onion and let steep for at least 1 hour.
6. Assembly:
   
   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place a layer of tortilla chips on a large platter. Spread a layer of ragù on top of the chips. Sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the cheese melts.
7. Remove the nachos from the oven, top with arugula and pickled onions, and spoon over mascarpone. A gooey, cheesy delight!