Duck Sausage
- 2 ready-to-cook ducks, about 6 pounds each (see note)
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried thyme
- 1/2 bay leaf, broken into small pieces and finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- Salt to taste, if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shelled, blanched pistachios
- It is best to prepare these sausages one day in advance and refrigerate them until ready to cook.
- Cut away and reserve the meat from the ducks.
- There should be about 2 pounds of meat.
- Discard the bones and any fibrous membranes.
- Reserve 1/4 pound duck fat.
- Cut the duck meat into 1-inch cubes and put in a mixing bowl.
- Chop up the duck fat and add it and the thyme, bay leaf, allspice, salt and pepper.
- Blend well.
- If using a sausage stuffer, put half the duck mixture into the container of a food processor and blend until the mixture is slightly finer than hamburger.
- Repeat with the remainder.
- Combine the two batches and add the pistachios.
- Blend well in a bowl.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for filling the sausage casings.
- If using a meat grinder and stuffer, follow the manufacturer's instructions for stuffing the casings.
- When the filling has been added, pinch off the casing and tie a knot at each end.
- Tie a piece of string at 5- or 6-inch intervals.
- There should be 11 or 12 sausages.
- Wrap the sausages in clear plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To cook, cut off as many lengths of sausage as desired.
- Prick each sausage all over, forming pin-sized holes.
- Grill or broil the sausages, turning as necessary, about 15 minutes or until done.
- Or preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Place the sausages in a skillet and add 1/8 inch water.
- Bring the water to a boil on top of the stove and place the skillet in the oven.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, or until the sausages are done.
ready, thyme, bay leaf, allspice, salt, freshly ground pepper, pistachios
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/2608 (may not work)