Skillet-Roasted Sausages and Apples with Walnut Vinaigrette
What's better than an impressive, dinner-party-worthy dish that also has low-fuss, weeknight ease? This one-skillet dish combines seared sausages and tender sweet apples with crisp bitter greens and toasty walnut vinaigrette. It’s unexpected, but it all fuses together for a satisfying fall meal. Sausages are one of our favorite weeknight ingredients because they come pre-seasoned, pre-portioned, and ready to cook. We used a spicy lamb merguez here, but you can also try this recipe with sweet Italian pork sausage, bratwurst, or even a fresh chicken sausage. Pro tip: To tame radicchio’s bitter bite, soak it in ice water for at least 30 minutes before using. This will also give your lettuce a crisp texture.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- 2 Tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons walnut oil see Notes
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped toasted walnuts
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Sausages
- 2 Tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
- 4 small apples (about 1 pound), such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp, halved through the stems
- 1½ pounds fresh sausages (about 6 to 8 depending on the size)
- ¼ cup chicken stock, low-sodium broth, or white wine
- ½ head radicchio leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup baby arugula
- Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano for garnish
- Flaky sea salt for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper for garnish
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
Make the vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar and mustard until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. While whisking constantly, gradually stream in both oils until emulsified. Stir in the walnuts and parsley and season with salt and pepper.
Prepare the sausages
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large cast-iron skillet or shallow braiser, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the apples and cook cut side down over moderately-low heat, turning once, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Prick the sausages with the tip of a small knife. In the skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the sausages and cook over moderately-high heat, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. Arrange the apples cut side up around the sausages and pour the chicken stock into the skillet. Bring the liquid to a boil and then transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until the sausages are just cooked through and the apples are tender, 8 to 12 minutes depending on the size of your sausages.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Arrange the radicchio and arugula on top of the sausages and apples. Spoon some of the walnut vinaigrette over the greens. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve right away, with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
If you cannot find walnut oil, then substitute with canola or grapeseed oil.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!