We’ve had a powerhouse team of chefs in the kitchen this winter, so it is hard to know who to ask for a recipe to share with you, as they all have an arsenal of amazing dishes.  This time around, we asked Chef Jonathon to share a recipe you all could enjoy at home.  There were a few tasty ones to choose from, as you can imagine, but this one stood out to us.

 

Roasted Fennel and Sausage with Apples, Taleggio, and Almonds

Ingredients:

Extra virgin olive oil

½ lb fennel sausage, casings removed (if you aren’t able to find this, standard Italian sausage typically has fennel in it)

2 garlic cloves, smashed

½ tsp red pepper flakes

1 ½ lbs fennel, trimmed and tough outer layers removed, cut into eighths

1 large apple, peeled, cored, and sliced thin

½ cup almonds, toasted

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

6 oz Taleggio cheese, rind removed and cut into small pieces

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup dried fresh breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp butter

 

Method:

  1. Cook sausage in 1 Tbsp olive oil.  Break it up while cooking, and when cooked, remove and set aside.
  2. Reduce heat, add 1 Tbsp olive oil along with the smashed garlic. Lightly toast, add pepper flakes, and toast another few seconds.
  3. Add fennel and 1/3 cup water, cover and cook until tender. Check every few minutes for tenderness and to be sure that the water hasn’t all evaporated before fennel is cooked–about 10 minutes.
  4. Return sausage to pan, add apples, almonds, thyme, and half of the cheese. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Pour into baking dish and top with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Cook at 375 degrees until cheese is melted and starting to sizzle, about 20 minutes.  Rest 5 minutes and serve it up.