Adapted from recipes from A New Way to Cook, by Sally Schneider
Homemade Sausages
2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into ½ inch pieces 2 Tbs. Milk 1 lb. ground pork or ground lamb 2 Tbs. beaten egg white 1 ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp. salt Sausage Seasoning: ½ tsp. dried thyme, ½ tsp. ground coriander, ½ tsp. ground allspice, ½ tsp. ground ginger 1 tsp. olive oil
In a medium bowl, toss the bread with the milk, breaking it apart further with your fingers. Set aside to soften.
Transfer ¾ of the meat to a medium bowl, and set aside. In a food processor, combine the remaining ¼ of the meat, the bread mixture, the egg white, salt, pepper, and seasonings. Pulse until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add this mixture to the meat and knead it with your hands to combine.
With wet hands, divide the mixture into 16 equal portions. Shape each into a 2 ½ inch patty, or larger sandwich-sized patties. Fry patties in a heavy skillet or griddle in the olive oil, until brown and the juices run cleat when pierced with a fork. You can shape the patties up to a day in advance and refrigerate the. Or freeze them, well-wrapped, for up to 2 months.
Homemade Merguez (traditional spicy Moroccan lamb sausage) Use ground lamb rather than pork. For the sausage seasoning, use 1 ¾ tsp. sweet Hungarian paprika, ¼ tsp. ground cumin, ¼ tsp. ground coriander, ¼ tsp. fennel seeds, 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne, and 1 tsp. minced garlic.
Burgers or Sausage with Apples, Onions, and Sage
2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into 1 inch pieces 3 Tbs. Milk 2 tsp. butter ½ cup finely chopped onions salt ½ medium apple, finely chopped (1/3 cup) 1 ¼ tsp. minced fresh sage or ½ tsp. dried sage 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice 1 lb. ground lamb or pork ½ tsp. ground black pepper 1 tsp. olive oil
In a small bowl, soak the bread in the milk to soften it, about 5 minutes. In a small skillet, melt 1 tsp. of the butter over low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle lightly with salt, and toss to coat. Cover and cook until the onions have released some juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to moderate, and cook, tossing occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the onions are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tsp. butter, the apple, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, until the apple is soft, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the meat, soaked bread, ½ tsp. apple mixture, salt, and the pepper, tossing well with your hands. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into four ¾ inch patties. Brush the burgers lightly with olive oil and pan fry or broil for 5 to 10 minutes on each side. - Updated: January 19, 2007
