Classic Silky Sausage
- 1 pound (about 2 cups) Multipurpose Meat Paste (page 158)
- 5-by-12-inch piece fresh or thawed, frozen banana leaf, trimmed of brown edges, rinsed, and wiped dry
- Fill a 4- or 5-quart pot two-thirds full with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Lower the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Shaping and wrapping the paste is like rolling a very stubby cigar.
- Put a 12-by-18-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil on your work surface with a short side closest to you.
- Center the piece of banana leaf on the foil.
- Use a rubber spatula to deposit the paste near the bottom edge of the leaf (the edge closest to you), roughly shaping it into a fat 5-inch-long log.
- Do not get any paste on the foil.
- Roll up the leaf to encase the paste, creating a cylinder 3 inches in diameter.
- Place the cylinder at one of the short ends of the foil and roll it up, letting the foil naturally overlap to form a silver tube.
- Finish by sealing the ends closed and then folding them toward the center.
- Because the paste expands during cooking, you need to tie the package with kitchen string to secure it.
- In general, a cross tie followed by another loop around the sausagemuch like tying a very small roastworks well.
- There is no need to be fancy, but to ensure the shape and compactness of the paste, make sure the string is taut.
- Return the pot of water to a boil.
- Drop in the sausage and boil for 40 minutes, replenishing with extra boiling water as needed.
- During cooking, the foil will darken and the sausage will puff up, push against the string, and eventually float.
- Dont be alarmed; it will deflate afterward.
- Use tongs to remove the cooked sausage from the pot.
- Let cool completely before untying and removing the foil.
- Keep the banana leaf in place.
- Put the sausage in an airtight container or zip-top plastic bag and refrigerate until serving.
banana leaf
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/classic-silky-sausage-383060 (may not work)