Pan-Fried Sausages Taste Amazing When You Add This One Ingredient Addition

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In the same way adding herbs and spices to store-bought broth can make it taste homemade, there's one spice you can cook with your sausage that will instantly give it that rich restaurant quality. Italian sausage often already contains this sweet and earthy element, but when it's missing from the ingredient list, the palate notices. So, if you've got a laundry list of sausage recipes you need to try, make sure you make the most of them by adding some fennel seed to the mix.

When you're working with sausage links, there are a few different ways you can incorporate that coveted fennel bite. As the seeds contain a concentrated anise-like flavor, grinding them up with a mortar and pestle and tossing the powder in your go-to cooking oil works to perfectly coat sausage links with the spice. Not only does this imbue the sausage with fennel's flavor, but also its aromatics. That sweetness hits the nose before each bite, adding to the overall experience. 

Some folks prefer to leave the seeds whole as they add pops of intense flavor and a bit of texture. On the other hand, pulverizing the seeds before adding them to the raw meat ensures that you get that rich, uniform flavor across the board. Either way, you also have the option of toasting your seeds in a dry skillet before crushing them or blending them into the meat raw. As toasting releases more of the seed oil, toasted seeds have a stronger flavor that tastes warmer and nuttier. Raw fennel seeds, however, (which many folks prefer in sausage) are a bit sharper.

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If you're a little unclear about what fennel is and what it tastes like, allow us to introduce you. Similar to celery, another member of the Apiaceae family, fennel has an enlarged bulb, long watery stalks, and wispy fronds, all of which carry the simultaneously bitter and sweet licorice flavor that fennel is known for — albeit to varying degrees. 

The bulb has a bold taste that becomes sweeter and more delicate after cooking. The tough stalks can be grilled or cooked down to flavor broth or sauce, while the fronds can be chopped up and added to salads, adding a hugely herbaceous, lightly licorice-y vibe. When it comes to fennel seed, however, that's where you get the most bang for your buck as far as flavor is concerned. When you're looking to use fennel to spruce up store-bought ground sausage (or integrate into your own homemade sausage recipe), fennel seed is what you should opt for. 

Alternatively — because fennel is a Mediterranean vegetable in the carrot family — it has a hearty bulb which you can slice up and sauté together with your sausage links, much like you would onion or peppers. When used in this way, it also adds substance, nutrients, and a crunchy, toothsome quality to the dish, and can even help with digestion! Your stomach and taste buds will thank you.