Cider-braised sausages with apple, fennel and rosemary

Name: Cider-braised sausages with apple, fennel and rosemary
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 500g thick Italian pork sausages; 125ml (½ cup) apple cider; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 85g (¼ cup) maple syrup; 1 small fennel, cut into wedges; 3 baby Granny Smith apples, skin on, cut in half; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 small rosemary sprig; mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve

Elevate your weeknight meal with these cider-braised sausages, a delicious one-pot upgrade on a classic.

Jessica Brook

August 7, 2025

Add mashed potatoes or crusty bread alongside cider-braised sausages with apple, fennel and rosemary. James Moffatt

easyTime:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4

Give pork sausages a delicious upgrade by braising them in cider with fragrant fennel and apples. Served with mashed potatoes or crusty bread, this makes an easy, flavoursome weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500g thick Italian pork sausages
125ml (½ cup) apple cider
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
85g (¼ cup) maple syrup
1 small fennel, cut into wedges
3 baby Granny Smith apples, skin on, cut in half
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small rosemary sprig
mashed potatoes or crusty bread, to serve

Method

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning, for 6-8 minutes, until the skin starts to brown. Add the cider, cider vinegar, and maple syrup to the pan and bring to a simmer.
Step 2
Arrange the fennel and apple around the sausages and place them in the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the fennel and apples are tender and caramelised.
Step 3
Remove the sausages from the pan, add the mustard, and stir to combine with the pan juices. Return the sausages to the pan with the rosemary and a good grind of black pepper. Serve with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.