Chicken and apple sausage

[Lance Yeoh]

Okay, the chcken and apple suasage was a huge hit at home.

8 lbs chiken thighs
3 cups apple juice
dried apples, 120 grams, diced
Sweet wine (icewine, port or sauternes) 100 ml
Salt, 60 grams
sugar, 52 grams
white pepper, 8 grams
dried sage, 6 grams
ground alspice, 3 grams
dried ginger, 2 grams
cloves, 1 gram
Nutmeg, i gram
cinnamon, 1 gram
strong chicken boillion, 100 ml

Cube chicken with fat and skin, and partially freeze. Boil apple juice until it is reduced to a thick syrup, about 1/2 cup. Cool.

Grind all dried dried spices in coffee grinder. Reconsitute apples in 4 cups warm water. Drain.

Grind chicken on large hole grinder (1/4 inch). Add all other ingredients and mix well. Let sit in fidge 3 hours. I stuffed into 32MM casings (hog or sheep) using the two hole plate of my grinder. If using a dedicated stuffer, regrind with 1/4 inch plate prior to stuffing. Link to 4 inch sausages. ( I made about 28 links.)


I steamed the whole lot gently for 45 minutes then froze. This allows us to thaw, then grill/griddle for color and to warm up (exept I saved a bit for small patties for my youngest daughter/stuffer helper). Split down the middle, into a hot pan with another pan on top.... MMMmmmm!

NOTE: Next time, I might only use half the skin and fat. Double grinding helps with binding, and so may ot need all the fat that US porducers include in their thigh packages.

I've got to try this recipe this coming weekend!

[vinner]

Let me know what you think, Lance, the folks around here have gone through all 8 pounds in 2 days.

[jenny_haddow]

Hi Vinner,

I did a variation on a theme here, using most of your recipe, but with turkey goose and pork. I had an odd number of goose legs so I put the odd one in the sausage mix, the rest are for confit. Here's a rather blurry picture of the result:-



The sample I cooked was very tasty indeed so they are on the menu for dinner tonight.

Cheers

Jen

[Lance Yeoh]

Looks good Jenny, how did you get them to such a colour? Most of my sausages are kinda light coloured. Did you smoked them?

[jenny_haddow]

Hi Lance,

No they're not smoked. The goose is a dark meat and and the turkey was a couple of huge legs I stripped the meat off, so that was on the dark side too. I added the pork as I was concerned about getting some fat in there, althought he goose had a bit. I also used fresh sage and apples(cooked) which may darken them up a bit.

Cheers

Jen

[Lance Yeoh]

ok, I've not done goose or turkey yet, not very popular meat around here actually.

[vinner]

Looks great, Jen. This weekend, (after smoking the buckboard bacon, slicing the newest parma and re-curing the bresaola) we will be making chicken and pork sausages with roasted New Mexco Hatch chiles. Also smoking baby back ribs for the old B&C's 50th birthday bash.

[Lance Yeoh]

How do I prepare the apples for this recipe? I can't get dried apples here but plenty of fresh ones. Can I just dice them and use directly in the forcemeat?

[jenny_haddow]

Hi Lance,

I used fresh eating apples which I diced and cooked first. I used eating apples because they don't cook to a pulp. They seem to work well leaving small pieces of apple in the sausage.

Cheers

Jen

[Lance Yeoh]

Hi Jenny,
Thanks for the swift reply, how long do I need to cook them? Just boil them in water? Do I need to add salt or spices into the water to cook them? Never do somethig like this before. thanks.

[jenny_haddow]

Hi Lance,

I put them in a saucepan with a little water, brought them to the boil for a few minutes until they softened. Didn't add anything to them. I cooked them because I didn't want hard lumps in the sausages. When they were cooked I rinsed them in cold water and chilled them before adding to the meat.

Hope this helps

Jen

[Lance Yeoh]

Hi Lance,

I put them in a saucepan with a little water, brought them to the boil for a few minutes until they softened. Didn't add anything to them. I cooked them because I didn't want hard lumps in the sausages. When they were cooked I rinsed them in cold water and chilled them before adding to the meat.

Hope this helps

Jen

Thanks Jenny.

[jenny_haddow]

You're welcome.

[Fricandeau]

For some reason I have never made a chicken sausage, but reading the above and seeing those pictures has inspired me.

I knew that this was the forum for me!

[vinner]

Fricandeau, even though my last batch had a 50% burst rate while cooking, they still taste great. Oh well, I live and learn.