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Chicken Sausage

Published: Mar 29, 2013 · Modified: Apr 1, 2021 by Michael Ruhlman · 14 Comments

Chicken sausages. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

Homemade chicken sausages. Photo by Donna Turner Ruhlman.

Today my Friday cocktail will be a daiquiri here in Palm Beach. Or you could instead sit down with a Lagunitas IPA and a few homemade chicken sausages; this recipe originally appears in Charcuterie.

Chicken Sausage with Basil and Tomatoes

  • 3 1⁄2 pounds/1.5 kilograms boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
  • 1 1⁄2 pounds/675 grams pork back fat, cubed, diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons/40 grams kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon/3 grams freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons/9 grams minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons/24 grams tightly packed chopped fresh basil
  • 1⁄2 cup/100 grams fresh diced roma (plum) tomatoes
  • 1⁄4 cup/60 grams diced sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters red wine vinegar, chilled
  • 1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
  • 1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters dry red wine, chilled
  • 10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
  1. Combine the meat, fat, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and tomatoes and toss together until evenly mixed. Chill until ready to grind.
  2. Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice.
  3. Using the paddle attachment of a standing mixer (or a sturdy spoon), mix on low speed (or stir) for 1 minute. Add the vinegar, oil, and wine, increase the speed to medium, and mix for 1 more minute, or until the liquid is incorporated and the sausage has a uniform, sticky appearance.
  4. Fry a bite-sized portion of the sausage, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist into 6-inch/15-centimeter links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
  6. Cook the sausage to an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C.Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty 6-inch/15-centimeter links.

Other great links to check out:

  • My books on Schmaltz and Salumi.
  • Looking for another cocktail for the holiday? Try party punch, aka Scamper Juice.
  • Try making your own bacon at home—it's easier then you think.
  • It is key to have a nice grinder at home not just for making sausages, but hamburgers too.

© 2013 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2013 Donna Turner Ruhlman. All rights reserved.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. bob del Grosso

    March 29, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    CHICKEN sausage made with PORK fat AND Kosher salt is too funny man! Enjoy Palm Beach!!!

    Reply
    • ruhlman

      April 02, 2013 at 12:37 pm

      sneaky isn't it!

      Reply
    • ruhlman

      April 02, 2013 at 12:39 pm

      but in schmaltz i make chicken sausage with schmaltz!

      Reply
  2. Miss Kim @ behgopa

    March 29, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    Yum, these look so good. Homemade sausages made with love, brings happiness to the table.

    Reply
  3. Mark A. Bauman

    March 29, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Michael- Any suggestions as to making the recipe without using pork fat? Can you substitute schmaltz or un-rendered chicken fat?

    Reply
    • Emilia

      March 29, 2013 at 4:35 pm

      To make this without pork, omit the pork fat but retain as much chicken fat on the thighs as possible. You can also use cold butter.

      Reply
    • ruhlman

      April 02, 2013 at 12:40 pm

      yes, you can use any fat, butter or schmaltz; in the book of schmaltz i have a recipe that uses schmaltz.

      Reply
  4. david frank

    March 29, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    I would have thought you would have schmaltz in the recipe instead of pork fat... 🙂

    Reply
  5. Tags

    March 29, 2013 at 5:31 pm

    The only thing missing is a tofu-skin casing. Then again, you still have a couple more days until April Fools.

    Reply
  6. Justin Watt

    March 29, 2013 at 9:09 pm

    +1 on the Lagunitas IPA. If you ever find yourself in Petaluma, CA, it's worth stopping by their brewery, located in an unassuming strip mall. Then of course since you're in the neighborhood, head up to the Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa for some Pliny the Elder (which you can very occasionally find at Whole Foods, at least out here in California).

    Reminds me of a good food story I blogged about from years ago involving Lagunitas, as on my way from NC to CA: A Day in Santa Fe.

    Reply
  7. Kellen Ferkey

    March 30, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    And then I was like, I've made that... I think I have that in a book somewhere!

    Reply
  8. Chris

    April 01, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    I was in Novato over the weekend, about 20 miles from Petaluma where Lagunitas is made and had the IPA on tap. Very good. Better than the bottle.

    Reply
  9. Simeon Bittman

    April 02, 2013 at 7:27 pm

    Poach the chicken sausage in the IPA!

    Reply
  10. Abra from French Letters

    April 02, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    I've made those sausages - delicious, just as written!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Michael Ruhlman, an award winning author and trained cook who writes about chefs, food and cooking, among other things.

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