ISO help w/spice in Italian sausage

[Chriscooks]

Hi there. I'm brand new with a quick question I couldn't get a clear answer from Google for. I have a great basic Italian sausage recipe that I follow pretty loosely. The problem is that I am out of fennel seed. I have anise seed but worry that it might be too sweet. As luck would have it I am also out of dill(a sub google told me about). What about caraway seed? Would that work?

I hope someone can help!


Thanks.

 

[taxlady]

I have never found anise to be sweet. Bite one and decide.

 

[Dawgluver]

Why not try both anise and caraway? Anise is pretty close to fennel, both somewhat licoricey, anise more so. Both are no strangers to sausage, and you may come up with some nice stuff, though probably different from what you're used to. You might also add some hot pepper flakes if you have them.

BTW, welcome to DC!

 

[Addie]

Yay! Another Canadian has joined us. Welcome and please do stick around. We have solutions for every problem in the kitchen. And it all comes with a lot of laughs.

 

[Chriscooks]

Thanks all! I'm going to hold off until I can pick up fennel tomorrow.

I did taste the anise and it tasted sweet to me. I'm not sure if it was just because it has a stronger licorice flavour.

I do add red pepper flakes to the sausage. My husband loves heat.

Thank you for the warm welcome !

 

[Roll_Bones]

Thanks all! I'm going to hold off until I can pick up fennel tomorrow.

I did taste the anise and it tasted sweet to me. I'm not sure if it was just because it has a stronger licorice flavour.

I do add red pepper flakes to the sausage. My husband loves heat.

Thank you for the warm welcome !

You are doing the right thing. Sometimes its best to wait until you have what you need.
You need fennel to make Italian sausage.

 

[cave76]

"You need fennel to make Italian sausage."

Yep!!!

 

[Addie]

"You need fennel to make Italian sausage."

Yep!!!

+1

 

[Zagut]

Can anyone explain why fennel is unique to Italian sausage?

 

[Addie]

Can anyone explain why fennel is unique to Italian sausage?

Italians seem to have a fondness for the taste of licorice or anise. It is a taste that they grew up with and passed on to the next generation. Ask any Italian and they will give you the standard answer. "Because that is the way my mother or Nonni did it." And so the tradition continues. Even their liquors seem to have anise in them. A lot of their desserts also. Without the fennel or anise, it would just be plain sausage meat.

It is a very old spice that is prevalent in the Mediterranean locale.

Fennel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Italy falls into that area.

 

[GotGarlic]

Can anyone explain why fennel is unique to Italian sausage?

It isn't. It's popular in Greece, the Middle East and India, and it's an ingredient in Chinese five-spice powder. I'd guess Italian sausage is probably the most mainstream food that includes it and so that's what most of us are familiar with. Here's more info: From the Spice Cupboard: Fennel Seed | The Kitchn

 

[taxlady]

Until this thread, it had never occurred to me that fennel seeds came from those celery-like, mildly licorice flavoured bulbs. D'oh!

 

[Steve Kroll]

Can anyone explain why fennel is unique to Italian sausage?

Both my pizza and marinara sauce recipes also call for ground fennel seed. There are times I've been out and had to make the recipes without that ingredient. You can definitely tell something is "off" when it's missing.

 

[Zagut]

Both my pizza and marinara sauce recipes also call for ground fennel seed. There are times I've been out and had to make the recipes without that ingredient. You can definitely tell something is "off" when it's missing.

Perhaps that's my problem on occasion. Non of my recipes call for fennel yet I know the feeling of something missing. Not always but sometimes it's just not what I want.

Thanks for the links folks. Interesting reading and it will keep me busy for awhile.

 

[Dawgluver]

Fennel is probably one of my favorite spices. Spaghetti sauce just isn't right without it, and I always add extra fennel seed to Italian sausage.