Classic Chicken Sausage, Cabbage & Apple Skillet

Ingredients

• Chicken sausages, 10 links (about 850 g total)
• Green cabbage, cored and thinly sliced, 800 g (about 1 small head)
• Green apples, cored and thinly sliced, 300 g (about 2 medium apples)
• Yellow onion, thinly sliced, 200 g (about 1 large onion)
• Garlic, minced, 12 g (about 3 cloves)
• Olive oil or neutral oil, 15 g (about 1 tbsp), as needed
• Cumin seed, 2 g (about 1 tsp)
• Dijon mustard, 30 g (about 2 tbsp)
• Apple cider vinegar, 30 g (about 2 tbsp), plus more to taste
• Black pepper, 1 g (about 1/2 tsp)
• Kosher salt, 6 g (about 1 tsp), plus more to taste
• Optional: pinch of sugar, 4 g (about 1 tsp), if your apples are very tart
• Optional: chopped parsley or dill, 10 g (about 1/4 cup)

Instructions

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 15 g (1 tbsp) oil if your sausages are lean. Add the chicken sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on multiple sides and the centers are hot and juicy (aim for 74°C / 165°F internal). Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add the cumin seed to the sausage fat (add a drizzle of oil if the pan looks dry) and toast 30–60 seconds, just until it smells warm and nutty.
3. Add the sliced onion and a pinch of salt. Cook 3–5 minutes until softened and starting to take on color.
4. Add the cabbage in big handfuls, tossing as it wilts down. Let it sit against the pan in spots so it browns—what you want is glossy cabbage with browned edges, not pale steamed cabbage. Cook 8–12 minutes, tossing every minute or two, until it’s mostly tender with some bite.
5. Add the garlic and black pepper; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add the apples and cook 2–4 minutes, just until warmed through and slightly softened but still crisp-tender.
7. Return sausages (and any juices) to the skillet. Add the Dijon and apple cider vinegar and toss until everything looks lightly glazed and the pan smells bright. Taste and adjust with more salt, more vinegar, and (optionally) 4 g (1 tsp) sugar if you want a rounder sweet-tart balance.
8. Kill the heat. Fold in herbs if using. Serve hot.
9. Refrigerate leftovers airtight up to 4 days. Reheat in a hot skillet until the cabbage edges re-crisp and the sausage sizzles again.

Notes

Cumin seed swap: use 2 g (1 tsp) cumin seed in place of caraway. It’s warmer and earthier and can read slightly more savory than caraway’s rye-like bite; to keep it classic, toast briefly in the sausage fat (30–60 seconds) so it blooms without turning bitter. Serving ideas: Great with boiled or mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or toasted bread. A spoon of your mayo–sour cream–pickle sauce on the side is also excellent. If your sausages are pre-cooked/smoked: brown them hard first, then you can shorten the final simmering time—just warm through after the mustard/vinegar goes in.