Sausage, Apple & Fennel Bake

Makes 2-3 servings.

1 Red Dog fennel bulb
1.5 gala apples
1/2 medium red onion
4 mild Italian sausages
1 1/4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
White basmati rice (optional side)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut one red onion into chunks. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish.

Break off the fennel fronds and set aside for later. Cut the knobby end off the fennel bulb. Cut the bulb in half vertically, then into thin strips. Add to the baking dish with the onions. Add olive oil, salt and pepper to the fennel and onion in your baking dish. Toss to coat with the olive oil.

Cut the thyme sprigs into thirds and add to the baking dish, and toss again.

Cut the apples into wedges about ¼” to ½” wide. (These shouldn’t be too thin, otherwise they’ll fall apart when cooked.) Add to the baking dish and give one final toss to combine ingredients.

Place the sausage on top of the mixture and press down to nestle the sausage into the other ingredients.

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. Halfway through, take out of the oven and turn the sausage over. They should be browned on the top and you don’t want them to burn or dry out.

While the sausage is cooking, make the rice according to package instructions.

Once you take the sausage out of the oven, let it cool a few minutes. For platter presentation, remove the sausage from the baking dish. Toss the apple-and-fennel mixture gently to coat everything in the juices. Transfer the mixture to a plate or small serving platter. Add the sausages to the top. Garnish with the fennel fronds and thyme sprigs. Serve immediately with the rice.