Before I start I would like to preface with the fact that until I came to this website I had not only never tasted chicken sausage but never even heard of it. I have asked in conversations and the folks round here are waiting for my results cause neither have they.
My very first ever sausage I made with the below grinder/stuffer and the chicken sausage came out beautifully. I kept going in and out of the freezer religiously with it while making it, but when I finished stuffing, cooking and took pictures...... Well I then threw it out. I didn't trust it and I found if their is doubt, best to throw it out and chalk it up to experience.
Ok enough of that, day before yesterday I grabbed 4.5 lbs bag of boned chicken thighs from the freezer. I also pulled out my casing bucket and selected 2 left over casings from previous sausages. I washed noted how big they are the second time around, straightened and check for blow outs. Put 'em back in the reefer in a nice clean bowl of water.
I decided to try something a bit different, well different to those here I asked anyway, not different to me cause I never had any before. I did this because I have found with new things here, if I can bring it back to something my taste buds recognize they seem to like it better, (Never had a sun dried tomato either). Here is my sausage mix that I made up and used.
Thanksgiving Chicken sausage
1 t Cure #1
1 t salt
½ t black pepper
¼ t Cayenne pepper
½ t herbes de provence (Sage, Rosemary, Thyme)
½ t sage ( its definitely needed more!)
½ C Chopped Smoked Spiced Pecans
1/3 C Homemade chunky cranberry sauce
4 ½ lbs. Chicken Thighs
Here we go with the mix after the grind last night.
Here it is tonight after deciding to add my jellied chunky cranberry sauce,
Casings, I for some reason never have problems. I might have had 2 blowouts in 100 lbs . Well tonight the first recapped casing blew 8 times before I could even finish. I removed it and cut out the sausage. I had two loaded so I stepped up, returned the salvaged sausage to the press and started right in with next one just like I was a pro.
That is the blown up casing and the sausage overage that didn't fit in the second casing. That's Ok, I wanted to taste it anyway.
Sausage, you can't see it but its really pretty with the cranberry reds in it.
Moving right along...... Into a cooker. I know, I know, I seriously hate cooked sausage too but its chicken and if you ever raise chickens you'll understand. Yes I have and hogs and cows too.
Ok, this is something totally new to me. I never had a sausage that every piece spit and squirted oil at me, yes it rendered and those sausages was messy! They didn't actually split but each sausage over pressured. 20 mins in the bath pulled at 165, BAM into an ice bath. I knew they were cold by the way they shriveled up. I am not going there, nope nope nope.
After they cooled down.
You can see the cranberries lost that pretty red color. The only think I can see that the smoked pecans brought to the party is a very light smoky taste. Not even a crunch. From what I tasted, (AND I know better than to pass judgment on any cured item the first day), I would rather have the thighs in a gumbo, BBQ'd, smoked, fried, spaghetti, even a casserole.
Now I have some with no idea what to do with them, I assume you boil 'em then throw 'em on the grill?
They were easy, they were pretty, they do make you think of Thanksgiving except a totally wrong texture. The nuts brought a smell but nothing else. I can't imagine using these in a gumbo or jambalaya....LOL
But I tried it. Its not bad, but its nothing to write home about.
Hope ya all have a great Memorial Day. Yes, I have my flag out.
Thanks for checking it out.
Any questions just ask or suggestions I am always open.
My very first ever sausage I made with the below grinder/stuffer and the chicken sausage came out beautifully. I kept going in and out of the freezer religiously with it while making it, but when I finished stuffing, cooking and took pictures...... Well I then threw it out. I didn't trust it and I found if their is doubt, best to throw it out and chalk it up to experience.
Ok enough of that, day before yesterday I grabbed 4.5 lbs bag of boned chicken thighs from the freezer. I also pulled out my casing bucket and selected 2 left over casings from previous sausages. I washed noted how big they are the second time around, straightened and check for blow outs. Put 'em back in the reefer in a nice clean bowl of water.
I decided to try something a bit different, well different to those here I asked anyway, not different to me cause I never had any before. I did this because I have found with new things here, if I can bring it back to something my taste buds recognize they seem to like it better, (Never had a sun dried tomato either). Here is my sausage mix that I made up and used.
Thanksgiving Chicken sausage
1 t Cure #1
1 t salt
½ t black pepper
¼ t Cayenne pepper
½ t herbes de provence (Sage, Rosemary, Thyme)
½ t sage ( its definitely needed more!)
½ C Chopped Smoked Spiced Pecans
1/3 C Homemade chunky cranberry sauce
4 ½ lbs. Chicken Thighs
Here we go with the mix after the grind last night.
Here it is tonight after deciding to add my jellied chunky cranberry sauce,
Casings, I for some reason never have problems. I might have had 2 blowouts in 100 lbs . Well tonight the first recapped casing blew 8 times before I could even finish. I removed it and cut out the sausage. I had two loaded so I stepped up, returned the salvaged sausage to the press and started right in with next one just like I was a pro.
That is the blown up casing and the sausage overage that didn't fit in the second casing. That's Ok, I wanted to taste it anyway.
Sausage, you can't see it but its really pretty with the cranberry reds in it.
Moving right along...... Into a cooker. I know, I know, I seriously hate cooked sausage too but its chicken and if you ever raise chickens you'll understand. Yes I have and hogs and cows too.
Ok, this is something totally new to me. I never had a sausage that every piece spit and squirted oil at me, yes it rendered and those sausages was messy! They didn't actually split but each sausage over pressured. 20 mins in the bath pulled at 165, BAM into an ice bath. I knew they were cold by the way they shriveled up. I am not going there, nope nope nope.
After they cooled down.
You can see the cranberries lost that pretty red color. The only think I can see that the smoked pecans brought to the party is a very light smoky taste. Not even a crunch. From what I tasted, (AND I know better than to pass judgment on any cured item the first day), I would rather have the thighs in a gumbo, BBQ'd, smoked, fried, spaghetti, even a casserole.
Now I have some with no idea what to do with them, I assume you boil 'em then throw 'em on the grill?
They were easy, they were pretty, they do make you think of Thanksgiving except a totally wrong texture. The nuts brought a smell but nothing else. I can't imagine using these in a gumbo or jambalaya....LOL
But I tried it. Its not bad, but its nothing to write home about.
Hope ya all have a great Memorial Day. Yes, I have my flag out.
Thanks for checking it out.
Any questions just ask or suggestions I am always open.