Putting Christmas Gifts to Good Use

Of late I've taken a serious interest in charcuterie, it started simply enough, with a Christmas gift, a book called Flying Sausages, and is starting to spiral into full blown obsession (I have 2lbs of pork belly in the freezer I'm planning to turn into bacon soon).


For now my obsession may be limited to simple things, since I lack a smoker, a place to cure things and really the guts to try to make some of the items in my cookbooks, instead I have opted to make bulk sausages and just purchase delicious treats from local producers such as Dai Due and Kocurek Family Charcuterie . My first foray into sausage was a Chicken Apple Sausage, adapted from Flying Sausages and used in my Turkey Apple Meatballs.

Chicken Apple Sausage
Adapted from Flying Sausages by Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly

1 Cup Apple Cider
3 1/2 Lbs Ground Chicken
6 oz Dried Apples, Chopped
6 Tsp Kosher Salt
3 Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
3 Tsp Ground White Pepper
2 Tbsp Rubbed Sage
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Cube Chicken Bouillon Dissolved in 2 Tbsp Boiling Water

1. In a non-reactive sauce pan boil apple cider until it is reduced into a syrup, only about 2-3 tbsp should be left. Cool and reserve.
2. Add apple cider and remaining ingredients to the chicken, blend thoroughly with hands.
3. Make a small patty, fry it in a skillet to test seasoning/flavor. If it needs extra seasoning mix additional seasonings into the raw chicken. Once desired flavor is reached, portion it into ziploc bags and freeze or use immediately.

Pictures of raw loose sausage aren't pretty so you'll have to wait and see what the recipes using it look like : )