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Italian Fennel Sausage

Italian Fennel Sausage

Make this simple fennel-scented sausage to toss into pasta or onto pizza. Par-cook large crumbles to fold into Thanksgiving stuffing or a pot of soup. Or fry up patties and serve alongside crusty bread and a bowl of tender white beans doused generously in olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 2teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 ½teaspoons coarsely ground fennel seed
  • ½ to 1tablespoon red-pepper flakes
  • 1pound ground pork
  • 1teaspoon pounded or very finely grated garlic
  • 1teaspoon dry white wine or vermouth
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Nutritional Information
      • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

        320 calories; 25 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 81 milligrams cholesterol; 624 milligrams sodium

    Note: The information shown is DiningAndCooking.com’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine salt, fennel seed and red-pepper flakes. Add pork to the spice mixture along with the garlic, and wine. Using your hands, mix thoroughly for 1 full minute, until the pork begins to appear tacky and sticks to the palm of your hand.
  3. Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon of pork mixture to make a small, thin sausage patty. Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and cook the patty for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Taste, and if needed, add salt or any other seasonings to the uncooked sausage mixture and mix to combine.
  4. Divide and form the remaining sausage into 8 2½-inch patties, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. (Patties can be made ahead and covered and refrigerated or frozen at this point until ready to use.)
  5. To cook, wipe out cast-iron pan, and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When it shimmers, add patties in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook 3-4 minutes per side, or until browned on the surface and just cooked through.
  6. Drain sausages on paper towels, and serve hot.

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