I used to make sausage using pork, beef and venison all the time... both fresh for BBQ or boil as well as dry cured. And then I met my current cardiologist who was able to convince me that I'd improve my life expectancy if I stopped eating red meats. Read more on that life change in the Weekend Ramble from April 2023 by clicking HERE.
So I just stopped making sausage... and that made me sad. There is something inherently wonderful for a chef to create things most people just go out and buy ready-made. I missed sausage making and was racking my brain as to how I could make sausage using chicken breast without adding some kind of fat. I didn't want to use any animal fats because hey... I'm trying to avoid those, right?
Fortunately for me I have a circle of foodies who love to kick around ideas. During one of those chats my friend Linda from Nova Scotia had the brilliant idea of trying minced portobello mushrooms. I was instantly intrigued and could not wait to get back into it. My wife Carolyn's time tested meatball recipe that I converted to Chicken Meatballs served as the starting point. I left out the eggs and breadcrumbs, played with mushroom quantities and adjusted the seasoning, and after several test patties I made my first ever batch of chicken sausage. I had to stop first diners to get this first pic before they were all gone! In a nutshell... I am back and now have a wonderful new journey to explore. :-)
Ingredients:
- 10 lbs chicken breast cut into cubes
- 1 cup fresh parsley – chopped, stems removed
- 1.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp table salt
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 5 cups minced baby portobello mushroom
- Hog casing as needed
Preparation:
Cut the meat into small cubes. Mix all spices thoroughly and coat meat by tossing in large bowl. Once meat is fully coated place bowl back in fridge for an hour.
Grind the meat using the coarse blade and set back in fridge for an hour to allow seasoning to blend.
Grind again using a fine blade (3mm). Fry up some test patties to make sure you didn't forget any ingredients... Yes, I learned the hard way! LOL
Stuff the sausage immediately, make links and allow to bloom
in fridge for a few hours.
Cook some any way you like, just like pork sausage... BBQ, fried or boiled and serve. Vac seal the rest and freeze for future meals.
Blessed be... and happy cooking!