Chicken-Apple-Fennel Breakfast Sausage

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup grated Granny Smith apple
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Toast the fennel seeds until golden brown in color, about 1 minute. Add the onions and grated apple to the pan and saute until the onions are translucent and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and place the onion mixture on a plate to cool. While the onion mixture is cooling, combine the chicken, pork, sage, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper and nutmeg in a medium-size mixing bowl. Once the onion mixture has cooled, fold it into the meat mixture until blended.

Form your meat mixture into 8 (3 1/2-ounce) patties. To cook the patties, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from pan and serve warm. Repeat with the remaining tablespoons of oil and sausage patties, if desired. Alternately, uncooked sausage patties will keep, refrigerated, for 3 days or frozen and used within 3 months.