Sausage (4 page)
Authors: Victoria Wise
6 small boneless chicken breast halves with skin
1½ pounds
Pork and Chestnut Sausage
4 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups red wine
8 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or ½ teaspoon dried tarragon
One at a time, place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. With a mallet or other pounding device, such as the flat side of a hammer or the bottom of a wine bottle, pound the chicken breast until ¼ inch thick or slightly thinner.
Discard the waxed paper. Spread about one-sixth of the sausage lengthwise along the center of each scaloppine. Roll up to enclose the sausage and secure closed with toothpicks or kitchen string.
In a sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken rolls without crowding, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the rolls, sprinkle them with the black pepper, and sauté, turning frequently, until lightly golden all around, 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the wine, garlic, and tarragon and stir to mix. Bring just to a boil and decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered, basting frequently, until the juices are no longer pink when a roll is pierced, about 15 minutes. Transfer the rolls to a platter and set aside in a warm place.
Reduce the liquid remaining in the pan over high heat until bubbles break from the bottom rather than only across the surface, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over the rolls and serve right away.
Of all the winter squashes, butternut is my favorite. Not only is it easy to peel for soups or gratins, but its flesh is also exceptionally creamy and sweetly invites a sausage filling. Stuffed with pork and chestnut sausage, these squash boats can stand alone as a main course, with steamed rice and a sturdy-leaf green salad for side dishes. They also make a notable side dish for a holiday turkey or crown roast.
For precooking the squash, I like to take the microwave advantage. It’s ever so much faster. But for finishing the dish, I use the oven because it produces a toastier, more visually appealing look.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2 small butternut squashes (about 1 pound each)
¾ pound
Pork and Chestnut Sausage
1½ cups
fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut the squashes in half lengthwise. Place them cut side down on a baking sheet or in a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle lightly with water, cover loosely, and cook until squeezable but not mushy, about 40 minutes in the oven, or 10 minutes in the microwave. Remove and set aside to cool. Leave the oven on if you have used it, or preheat it now to 400°F if you haven’t.
When the squash halves are cool, scoop out and discard the seeds from each half, then make a slit in the flesh along the middle, from the blossom to the stem end of each half, taking care not to cut through the skin. Pry open the slit and push the pulp to the edges. Fill the cavity with sausage, dividing it evenly among the halves and heaping it high. Add a generous helping of bread crumbs on top and dot with butter.
Return the squash halves, filled sides up, to the baking sheet, and pour a little water in the bottom to keep them from drying out. Bake until the sausage is no longer pink in the middle but still moist and the bread crumbs are golden, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Sage and Bourbon Whiskey Sausage with Cherry Tomato Chutney
Bourbon whiskey, a uniquely American spirit, can be used in cooking the same way wine often is in French recipes, as a splash that lends a subtle, aromatic presence and a bit of moisture. A whiskey sausage, with its breath of musty sage, makes a perfect grilling patty for sandwiching in a bun smeared with tomato chutney. Or, you can roll the sausage into small balls and serve them with the chutney as a dipping sauce. Two things distinguish this speedy chutney from bona fide tomato ketchup: its consistency is a little looser and less dense, and it is made in little more than half an hour. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months before its savor diminishes. Use it also to accompany pork chops or grilled chicken or game.
SERVES 4
Sausage
14 ounces ground pork
2 ounces salt pork, fat only, minced
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon freshly ground black, white, or green pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste, if needed
Chutney
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
⅔ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño chile
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
½ teaspoon celery seeds
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
3½ cups red cherry tomatoes, such as Sweet 100s, or grape tomatoes
1⅓ cups cider vinegar
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Buns, split, if making sandwiches
To make the sausage, place all the ingredients except the salt in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Cook and taste a small sample, then add the salt if needed. Leave in bulk or stuff into hog casing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm and to blend the flavors, though 4 hours or even overnight is better.
To make the chutney, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and stir until the seeds begin to pop, about 1 minute. Add all the remaining ingredients, stir to mix, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook, uncovered, until almost all of the liquid is gone but the mixture is still a bit moist, about 35 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, cover, and chill slightly before using to allow the flavors to coalesce.
To cook the sausage, prepare a medium-hot grill. If using in bulk, form the sausage into patties each about ½ inch thick and 3 inches in diameter or into balls each about 1¼ inches in diameter.
Place the patties, balls, or links on the grill rack directly over the heat source. Cook, turning once or twice, until no longer pink in the center but still quite moist, 15 minutes or so, depending on the shape and thickness.
If serving the sausage in buns, toast the buns, cut sides down, on the grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Spread each half with some of the chutney and sandwich a sausage patty or link between them. Or, arrange the sausage balls on a warmed platter and serve with the chutney on the side.
In the early eighteenth century, Spanish colonists brought a paprika-and-cayenne-seasoned sausage to Louisiana, where they added fresh red chiles and a dash of vinegar to create what is now known as Creole sausage. It is an assertive sausage that rings out “Let the good times roll!” It dances sprightly in
gumbo with shrimp and oysters
and lends vivacity to a
New Orleans plate with crab cakes and Cajun rémoulade
. It is also delicious formed into appetizer-size balls, sautéed, and served with rémoulade for dipping.
MAKES ABOUT 1 POUND
1 pound ground pork
¼ cup minced yellow or white onion
2 small cloves garlic, minced or pressed
¾ teaspoon minced fresh small red or green chile
2 teaspoons cider or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon hot or sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ small bay leaf, vein removed, leaf finely chopped
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Use in bulk and shape as directed in individual recipes or stuff into sheep casing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight to firm and blend the flavors.
Sauté or grill, or cook as directed in individual recipes. (The uncooked sausage will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.)
Creole Sausage, Shrimp, and Oyster Gumbo
Sausage in a gumbo usually means smoked sausage. Sometimes Louisiana smoked ham, called tasso, is also added or is used in place of the sausage. A roux (a mixture of flour and fat) is the traditional thickener, usually augmented with filé powder (ground dried sassafras leaves) or okra. In keeping with today’s taste for lighter fare, I swap the smoked sausage and/or ham for my homemade sausage and eliminate the roux. The okra alone does the thickening, and the step of soaking the okra pods in a salt-and-vinegar bath before adding them to the pot ensures they won’t be overly viscous. It is important to use dried herbs and canned tomatoes to produce the distinguishing flavors of this dish from a cuisine built around preserved goods. Make sure the okra is fresh, however.
I like to use shrimp in the shell because they enrich the broth. That does make for somewhat messy eating, however. If you want to save your guests the trouble of peeling their own shrimp, remove the shells and simmer them in 1 cup of the broth, then strain the liquid into the pot when adding the remainder of the broth. Shell-on shrimp are easy enough to devein, if it’s necessary to do so, by simply cutting through the shell along the back of each shrimp with a sharp paring knife.
SERVES 4
¼ pound okra, trimmed of tops and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow or white onion, coarsely chopped
2 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup coarsely chopped canned plum tomatoes, with juice
5 cups
chicken broth
1 pound
Creole Sausage
, formed into 1-inch balls
18 medium-size shrimp, preferably in the shell, deveined if necessary
12 shucked oysters, with liquor
Corn bread for serving (see
Skillet Tamale Pie with Mexican Beef Sausage in Jalapeño and Cheese Corn Bread Crust
; made without the sausage)
In a medium bowl, toss together the okra, vinegar, and salt. Set aside for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté until well wilted but not browned, about 6 minutes. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, cayenne, and tomatoes. Add the broth, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.
While the broth simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the sausage balls on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes per batch. As each batch is finished, transfer the balls to the simmering broth mixture.
When all the balls have been added, rinse the okra and add it to the pot. Continue simmering for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and the oysters and their liquor, cover the pot, and remove from the heat. Let stand until the shrimp are barely pink and the oysters are slightly plump, about 5 minutes.