Pork and Fennel Breakfast Meatballs with Sautéed Apples

Ingredients

• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 large fennel bulb (about 1 lb with stalks), a small handful of fronds chopped and saved
• 1 1/2 lb ground pork
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp olive oil, for the pan
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 crisp apples, such as Pink Lady or Braeburn, cored and cut into 1/2-inch wedges, skin on
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 big handfuls baby arugula, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and brush a rimmed sheet pan with the olive oil.
2. Toast the fennel seeds: Toast the fennel seeds in a dry 12-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking the skillet, for 1 to 2 minutes, until they darken a shade and smell sweet. Tip them into a mortar and crush them coarsely with the pestle. Heat draws the seeds' oils to the surface, and crushing them lets that flavor reach every bite of the meat.
3. Prep the fennel: Trim the stalks from the fennel bulb, halve it, and cut out the core. Finely grate about a quarter of the bulb on the large holes of a box grater, enough for 1/3 cup, and thinly slice the rest for the apples.
4. Mix the meatballs: Put the pork in a large bowl with the crushed fennel seed, grated fennel, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Mix with your hands just until the seasonings are evenly spread, about 30 seconds. Overworked ground pork turns dense and springy, and a light hand keeps the meatballs tender.
5. Shape and bake: With damp hands, roll the mix into 16 meatballs about 1 1/2 inches across and set them on the oiled sheet pan with space between them. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until browned and cooked through to 160°F (71°C) in the center of the largest one. Space between them lets the hot air brown every side while the centers stay juicy.
6. Sauté the apples and fennel: While the meatballs bake, melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the apples and thyme and cook 6 to 8 minutes more, turning the wedges once, until they are golden at the edges and tender but still holding their shape. Fennel takes longer to soften than apple, so its head start lets both finish together.
7. Brighten and serve: Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the vinegar, which sharpens the sweetness of the apples and lifts the browned butter from the skillet. Divide the arugula among four plates, spoon the apples and fennel over it, set four meatballs on each plate, and scatter the saved fennel fronds on top.