Truffled Sausage with Pistachios in Court-Bouillon

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Large intestine casings will make sausages approximately 2 inches in diameter. To serve four as a first course, a sausage of about 8 inches in length is right. It is impractical to make only one or two sausages and useful to make them of different lengths. Once made, they improve greatly if ripened for a few days or a week refrigerated with air circulating on all sides: place a wire rack or cake rack, covered with a tea towel, on a tray, arrange the sausages, not touching, on top, cover loosely with another towel and refrigerate - or, if space permits, place directly on the refngerator grill between two towels. Although not especially to be recommended, if, after a week’s ripening, you have a surfeit of sausages, it is possible to freeze them, first wrapped air-tight in plastic wrap, then in foil.

Some of the ingredients for the sausage here are repetitions of those in basic sausage meat; use them accordingly, in consideration of the additional, unseasoned meats that have been added.

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  • 4

Ingredients

  • FOR THE SAUSAGE:
  • 2 about 2 yd large sausage casing
  • dash of vinegar
  • 1 1/2 lb basic sausage meat
  • 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, cut into ¼ - ½ in cubes
  • ¼ lb fresh pork fatback, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, pounded to a paste with
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 about 1/4 cup peeled and coarsely chopped pistachios
  • 1-2 oz, or more, black truffle, diced
  • mixed dried herbs
  • 1/4 about 1/4 cup Cognac
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • FOR TIlE COURT-BOUILLON:
  • 1 or 2 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • parsley root or stems
  • bay leaf
  • thyme
  • small sprig of lovage or small celery stalk
  • salt
  • white wine

Preparation

Step 1

First soak the sausage casing in tepid water with a dash of vinegar for about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold running water from the tap, inside the casing as well, then press in towels to dry.

Mix together all of the ingredients for the sausage, using your hands, until thoroughly homogeneous.

A large plastic bottle in which mineral waters or soft drinks are sold, cut off at the shoulder to form a funnel, is the perfect instrument for stuffing sausages. The sausage casing is pulled up on to the neck and held in place (released progressively when more length is needed) between forefinger and middle finger to either side of the neck, the thumb holding the funnel at the rim while, with the thumb of the other hand, the sausage mixture is forced into the casing. When the desired amount of mixture has gone in, tie the far end of the casing, first being careful to force out any air and leaving enough length at the end so that the tip of the casing may be folded over the knot and tied again. Mold the sausage with your hands, forcing our all air — no air pockets must remain and giving it a slightly flattened form to ensure it is not overstuffed. Tie the other end in the same way.

Ripen the sausage for at least 3 or 4 days before using.

Prepare the court-bouillon long enough ahead of time so that it can cool down before the sausage is added. Choose an oval cocotte or a small fish kettle to economize on court-bouillon elements; the quantity of court-bouillon depends on the amount of liquid necessary to immerse the sausage in its chosen vesel.

Combine all the ingredients except the white wine, add water and cook at a light boil for 10 or 15 minutes. Add the wine, cook for another 5 or 10 minutes and leave to cool until tepid.

Prick the sausage on all sides with the point of a trussing needle, immerse it in the court-bouillon and bring to a near boil. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and regulate the heat to keep the court-bouillon beneath the boil; it should cook at about 185°. Poach the sausage for 45 to 50 minutes.

Serve, sliced, with some of its court-bouillon ladled over, surrounded by little new potatoes boiled in salted water.

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