Writings: Katira al-Maghrebiyya (aka Kay the Innocent of Bel Anjou)

Silver Spoon
Sausage or Ground Meat
Mists Coronet A.S. XXXIII

Entrant: Kay the Innocent of BelAnjou
Recipe: Poached Lemon Sausages

Documentation

Source: The original recipe is one by Anne of Cleavages, published as Munchen Sausage in The Best of A Watched Pot, Volume 2, published by Alfarhaugr Publishing Society, 1991. It was included with an article on the smoking of sausages so I assume it was meant to be smoked before poaching. She gives no source material.

Original Recipe:
1 lb lean pork
1/4 lb fresh pork fat
1 1/2 tsp salt
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tbl water
1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp pepper
sausage casings

Cut the pork and pork fat into cubes and grind coarsely. Add salt, mix well and chill. Mix grated lemon rind, water, parsley and pepper. Mix into meat well and regrind finely. Chill. Stuff into well-washed hog casings, twisting into 4" links. to serve, poach 20 minutes. Makes 1 1/4 lbs.

I dislike casings but needed a substitute to shape and hold the sausages during poaching. Johannes Sinistrus, in his article on sausage smoking referenced above, used cheesecloth and I too, found that it was a perfect substitute.

Additional Source: Apicius, edited and translated by Joseph Dommers Vehling, Dover Publications, inc. Recipe #52, Plain Dumplings with Broth provided the "poach in stock" concept. Recipe #64, Another Sausage used lovage which I grow and enjoy. Recipe #65, Round Sausage says "Fill the casings with the best material [forcemeat]", which says to me that it was pretty much up to the cook to decide what was in it.
Since I don't have a fireplace or other place to attempt smoking, I opted for a "fresh" version.

Recipe

2 lb country style pork
1/4 lb fresh pork fat
1 1/2 tsp salt
grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp pepper
1/4 C finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley and lovage)
1 tbl water
aromatic vegetables
cotton cheesecloth
kitchen twine/string

Trim pork (saving bones and trimmings for stock) and cut the approximately 1 lb of meat into chunks and grind with the pork fat. Add the salt, pepper, lemon rind, water, and herbs and regrind. Chill mixture to make handling easier.

In the meantime, simmer the bones and trimmings with the aromatic vegetables to make a flavorful poaching liquid.

Lay 2 foot length of cheesecloth, folded lengthwise on the counter. Shape the sausage mixture into a loooooong tube along one edge. Roll the sausage up tightly. Tie each end and at approximately 4 " increments along the length. Poach the coil of links for 20-25 minutes. They are light and are equally good warm or cold.

Note: There was a very period smoked sausage entered, and I was shocked to win. The smoked sausage was very dry and all of my poached sausage was eagerly comsumed. So with documentation, etc. each worth 1-5 points and taste worth 1-10 points, I guess I had the edge.

Last updated 01/03/2007