One more newbie question

[qwertydvorak]

I am wanting to make some chicken sausages this weekend. The recipe calls for thighs (because of the higher fat content if I have done my learning right). I am thinking of using whole chickens to start with which would change things a bit.

1) Will the white meat make for dry sausages ?

2) From reading I know with pork people add fat when using leaner cuts. Can I add the skins to up the fat content since I am adding white meat ?

3) If I add the skins, do they change the texture / consistency of the finished sausage ?


As a side question, does anyone know roughly the final weight of meat once removed from the bone ? 70-80% of the starting weight ? (just a guess)

Thanks once again.

[SausageBoy]

You can certainly make acceptable sausages from a whole chicken, skin and fat if you take special care in cooking so they don't dry out.

IMHO, you can't cook a sausage too slow.....but stay safe.

If you're the kind of person who likes to cook everything on 'high', well, you'll likely have very poor results.

I would gently brown both sides over medium heat and then finish the sausages in an oven at 275 degrees F for the appropriate amount of time to reach safe internal temperature which is dependent on the sausage size.

Here's a link to info on chicken yield.......

http://posc.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/l-2290.pdf

[vagreys]

I am wanting to make some chicken sausages this weekend. The recipe calls for thighs (because of the higher fat content if I have done my learning right). I am thinking of using whole chickens to start with which would change things a bit.

You also use thighs for more 'chicken' flavor.

1) Will the white meat make for dry sausages ?

By itself, white meat chicken tends to the drier side, but combined with thigh meat, it should be fine. Absolutely pay heed to SausageBoy's advice - gentle heat and patience. Don't overcook it, and you should be ok. Chicken makes great sausage, and is one of the ones I use as a first sausage for beginners. A 50/50 blend of light and dark meat with fat and skin makes a great breakfast sausage.

2) From reading I know with pork people add fat when using leaner cuts. Can I add the skins to up the fat content since I am adding white meat ?

Absolutely. You should.

3) If I add the skins, do they change the texture / consistency of the finished sausage ?

If you are grinding your sausage moderately fine or finer, you won't notice the skin, at all. It adds moisture and flavor to the chicken and helps bind it. As with other meat and fat, make sure the meat, skin and fat are well-chilled before grinding. Much better texture.

Good luck!