MARINARA SAUCE - WITH MEAT

The ingredients:
a pork sausage, peeled,
four skinned chicken thighs
a medium sized onion, finely chopped
half a head of garlic, peeled and chopped
huge pinch oregano, crushed
four bay leaves
oil
water 1/4 can
a can of tomatoes, whole and in puree, chopped coarsely
(you can also buy crushed but when you can have pieces in the sauce the effect is better than a fine puree. You know I love texture.
salt - big pinch, kosher
black pepper, ground, generous
red pepper flakes, 1/3 - ½ tsp.
sugar big pinch
herbs of Provençe, (optional)

peel the sausage, chop coarsely, skin the chicken, place in a pan with oil and fry - add the red pepper flakes, then the garlic, onions, chopped tomatoes, rinse the can with water, add the water to the pot, and everything else. Bring to the boil, lower the flame to a simmer, cook till chicken thighs are done. Remove thighs, and bay leaves.

NOTES: lots of oil makes the sauce texture and flavor better. Water added at the start will evaporate and allow the flavors to emerge. Use a full cup when you begin cooking, don’t worry about having too thin a sauce. It cooks down

Puree part of the sauce, finish and cool.

VARIATIONS:
Sundried Tomatoes, cut up in fourths and added to the sauce will intensify the flavor and texture. If the they are dry and hard, soak them in boiling water for a minute, drain, and slice. add to the pot.
Meatless, omit the meat, of course!
Chicken Cutlets, boned, browned in the pot, and cooked for half an hour, are awesome
Sausages, sweet or HOT, gently browned and cut into chunks, and cooked in the sauce are special, and take almost no extra work.