For the January-February 2013 Daring Cooks’ Challenge, Carol, one of our talented non-blogging members and Jenni, one of our talented bloggers who writes The Gingered Whisk, have challenged us to make homemade sausage and/or cured, dried meats in celebration of the release of the book Salumi: The Craft of Italian Dry Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn! We were given two months for this challenge and the opportunity to make delicious Salumi in our own kitchens!
Sausages evolved as a way to preserve meat in order to make it last longer – smoking, curing in salt, and drying it in. Most food cultures offer some form of sausage making, and the climate in each area had an effect on how a culture prepared its sausage – to eat it fresh, hang to dry or smoke it. Typically when you think of sausage you think of European countries – Kielbasa from Poland, Bangers from England (which get their name from their tight casing which often breaks during cooking, Haggis from Scotland etc., but other countries have forms of sausages, too. Korea has Sundae, Isan sausages from Thailand. There are literally hundreds of different varieties of sausages.
Sausages can be made from just about anything and they do not necessarily have to be stuffed either. Sausages can be combinations of vegetables, rice, meat or eggs . They can be patties, or stuffed into casings, natural or synthetic, or wrapped in leaves, wrappers or dough. Indeed, you can cure whole muscles and slice as you would sausage.
There are three basic types of sausage – dry (which have been hung to dry and cure), semi-dry (which have been cured via smoking) and fresh (which are cooked and then eaten immediately).
Fresh sausage is ground meat or vegetables that have been combined with seasonings and are meant to be cooked. Generally speaking, you need to fry, sauté, grill, poach or bake this sausage until it reaches an internal temperature of about 155°F/68°C for pork and 165°F/73°C for chicken or turkey. Sausages also benefit from a rest period like meat, so remove your sausage when the internal temperature is about 5 degrees lower than you want it to be. There is a tendency to overcook sausage, i.e. over 200°F/93°C until the interior is grainy and dry – but what you are looking for is a moist, tender interior.
When this challenge was announced I was certain I was going to sit this one out. Most of the recipes provided either contained pork or required long curing times and a controlled environment that I could not maintain at home. Add the fact that I have two kids at home and having meat hanging around in a little apartment did not seem like a good idea at all. After some thinking I decided to make two middle eastern recipes that would fall in the category of fresh sausage.
Mortadella Halabiye, or Aleppan Mortadella. Not to be confused with the popular Italian cured meat, Aleppan Mortadella is much smaller in size, made with lamb or beef or a combination of both and is cooked in stock or poached, not cured. Aleppan Mortadella is usually served as a starter as part of a spread of mezze along side hummus and muhammara, it can also be used as a sandwich filling. Either way it is a tantalizing mix of meat and spice that is sure to capture your senses
Aleppo Mortadella
This recipe makes 1 log
- 400g lean beef
- 60 grams ice cubes
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon allspice, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6-7 pitted green olives or 1/4 cup unsalted toasted pistachios
Poaching liquid
- enough water to submerge the mortadella
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 5-7 all spice berries
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (if you have fresh use 2-3 stems)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (if you have fresh use 3-4 leaves)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley(if you have fresh use 3-4 stems)
Place the meat and ice into your food processor and use the blade attachment to grind the meat into a creamy consistency. You want the meat to be smooth, almost spreadable. You can do this in a food grinder by grinding the meat 3 times.
Add the egg, bread crumbs, spices and salt and blend until completely incorporated
To form the mortadella:
Place a piece of cling film on the table,flatten the meat mixture into a rectangle.Sprinkle with pistachios or olives.
Fold closed with the help of the cling film, and form into a smooth log. Use ice water to smooth the meat mixture if you feel that it is a bit sticky.
completely enclose the meat with the cling film and twist the edges.
Roll the log back and forth a few times to help it take shape
Refrigerate until ready to cook in the stock (can be done a day in advance).
Prepare the poaching liquid by adding all the ingredients to a pot and bringing the water to a boil
Wrap the mortadella in foil and twist the edges
Add the mortadella (make sure it is completely submerged by the liquid)and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature is 73 C.
Take the mortadella out of the water, allow it to drain any leftover water then allow it to cool completely
Wrap with cling film and refrigerate
How to serve mortadella
Mortadella is usually served as part of the mezze along side dishes like hummus and muhammara.
You can serve it by slicing it into rounds as part of a cold meat platter
you can serve it as an appetizer topped with hummus and tomato cubes with a drizzle of lemon juice
You can cook it in a little butter and serve it as mini sandwiches with lettuce ketchup and mustard
You can also use the mortadella as part of pizza topping
You can chop it up and add it to your omlette
Chicken sausage كباب الدجاج
Chicken sausage is one of my go to dishes when I don’t have time. Just pulse everything together, form into sausages or patties, cook and serve. Quick, easy and satisfying. You can play around with the seasoning and adapt it to your liking.
600 g chicken breasts
1 medium onion chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 inch of ginger peeled and grated
1 apple peeled and grated
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon all spice
Place the chicken in your food and pulse using the blade until it is smooth
Add the remaining ingredients and pulse continuously until the mix is smooth
Shape into logs or sausage shape and smooth by wetting your fingertips in cold water
Heat a little oil in a pan and cook the sausages until they are browned on all the sides or place in a baking tray and place in the oven at 200 C until they are no longer pink in the center or the internal temperature is 73 C
Serve with pita bread and some baba ghanouj (grilled eggplant tahini dip),
hummus or mutawam (roasted zucchini garlic yogurt)
Sami
/ March 5, 2013Ooooo
Katherine Martinelli
/ February 25, 2013I love how simple the mortadella preparation is – I like the sound of it even better than the Italian version! And the chicken kebab is right up my alley. Gorgeous
milkandbun
/ February 24, 2013Two more delicious recipes!!! Making own sausages is definitely healthy!
~Mila
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ February 25, 2013Thank you Mila, you are right. Making your own sausages means you can control what goes into them and make them healthy and flavorful
gourmetgetaway
/ February 22, 2013Well done!! Both of these sausages look fantastic! I will also have to try these recipes
Profiteroles & Ponytails
/ February 22, 2013Wow, what an informative post Sawsan! I must admit that I thought of the Italian mortadella when I first saw your headline — but I can see how different your version is. I love the flavour combination and so I know it would be worth the effort. CCU is right, this looks like charcutterie heaven!
Bam's Kitchen (@bamskitchen)
/ February 22, 2013Beautiful sausages and you make it looks so easy and I know it is not! I have sent about 5 other comments to you seeing if any of them go through. Can you check and let me know. Thanks, BAM
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise
/ February 22, 2013Hello Bam, this is the only comment that made it through, all the others were in the spam folder
Bam's Kitchen
/ February 22, 2013Saswon my comment did not seem to go through so I will try a couple of different ways. Can you let me know if it goes through? Thanks, BAM
Bam's Kitchen
/ February 22, 2013You have so much patience to try the most difficult recipes but somehow when you explain it it seems so easy. Your Aleppo mortadella is beautiful and I’d love to have a taste of it and your chicken sausage as well. Take care, BAM
Yasmeen @ Wandering Spice
/ February 21, 2013Sawsan, I would have had the same initial reaction as you… hanging salamis in an apartment would be interesting at best.
I love how you worked around the restrictions and came up with two fantastic sausages. I’ll definitely be trying your chicken kebab – right up my alley. Yum!
A_Boleyn
/ February 20, 2013Both the sausages are interesting combinations of flavours or techniques that I’ve not tried before. The poached mortadella is especially unique as I’ve never poached something in that fashion before and I’ve not seen nuts used in a sausage previously. I make a type of ground chicken patty which is very tasty but again, the addition of the parsley, apples and the spice combination is very different from my experience. I think I’d enjoy tasting both very much.
Jessica Maher (@kbelleicious)
/ February 19, 2013i can;t believe you made your own mortadella! You are beyond amazing!
jehanne@thecookingdoctor
/ February 19, 2013Wonderful challenge completed, Sawsan! I opted out from the challenge for the same reason too- I just couldnt find any vegetarian casing, and the whole sausage making is so daunting! I would love to try out you rmortadella, over here, I usually buy the turkish salami, but I think yours outwin them in taste anytime!
ChgoJohn
/ February 18, 2013I, too, think I would have passed on this challenge, Sawsan. I make my family’s sausage and that is enough for me. Still, I have to admit, I’m intrigued by your Aleppo mortadella and I’d love to have a taste of it and your chicken sausage. If either are anything like your previous dishes, both must be delicious.
john@kitchenriffs
/ February 17, 2013Good job! I rarely make fresh sausage, and I don’t know why not – it’s so flavorful, and I can spice it exactly as I wish. I particularly like your chicken sausage – great new way to eat chicken. Fun post, good recipes – thanks.
mjskit
/ February 16, 2013WOW! I love both of these sausages but I am especially partial to the mortadella! I don’t believe I’ve ever had a sausage like that and it looks like something that we would LOVE in this house! What a beautiful and informative post Sawson! Glad to see your eyesight is better! I totally forgot about the challenge. UGH! Now that I’ve seen your delicious sausages, I’m going to need to jump on it. I did have a plan.
myninjanaan
/ February 16, 2013Wow I’ve never heard of mortadella! How interesting! And those kababs look so delicious! I love middle eastern kebabs!
Saskia (1=2)
/ February 16, 2013Fantastic! Love the mortadella – congratulations Sawsan. It looks so good. The roasted zucchini garlic yogurt sounds lovely too, as do the chicken sausages. I love making sausages too (we especially love chevaps – post coming soon!) but I don’t own a food-processor so they’re always somewhat rustic-looking. Very very tempted to find kitchen space for one soon though, especially now I’ve seen your beautiful smooth sausages.
yummychunklet
/ February 15, 2013This charcutterie looks delicious!
Geni - Sweet and Crumby
/ February 15, 2013You are a brave soul Sawsan. I would have totally sat this one out but you are such a trooper and you obviously you like a challenge. Your mortadella looks delicious. I love all the ways you showed us how to serve it.
Caroline
/ February 15, 2013This looks so good, Sawsan! That platter plus a glass of wine is my ideal dinner!
Norma Chang
/ February 15, 2013You did a fantastic job on the challenge, congratulations. Your made sausage making doable for me.
Shema George
/ February 15, 2013this looks so good..i feel like eating it right from the screen..i have bookmarked it….will try it as soon as possible
Korena in the Kitchen
/ February 15, 2013This challenges makes me wish I was a Daring Cook, but I absolutely don’t have time for another cooking group. Fantastic recipes, Sawsan.
Sarah Galvin (All Our Fingers in the Pie)
/ February 15, 2013Great post. Like the mortadella and chicken sausages.
Coffee and Crumpets
/ February 15, 2013Great job on the challenge! I decided to sit this one out
I love both your choices and the mortadella came out beautifully. I thought about doing an Indian cured meat we have but like you I didn’t want meat hanging outside let alone inside!
Nazneen
hotlyspiced
/ February 14, 2013Your mortadella looks very pretty. I had never thought to make this myself. And your chicken sausages look like a great family meal xx
Jenni (@GingeredWhisk)
/ February 14, 2013Wonderful job! I am so thrilled you finally decided to participate this month, because you did a phenomenal job! Both of your sausages look fantastic, delicious and perfect!
Chica Andaluza
/ February 14, 2013Yet again you stun me with what you do – I have often considered making some sort of sausage but have never had the patience to even start. Now you have inspired me with these great recipes!
Lail | With A Spin
/ February 14, 2013These sausages look very tempting and pairing them with baba ghanouj is an excellent idea.
Tisa Jacob
/ February 14, 2013This looks so yummy, Sawsan. I did sit this one out, mainly due to the inconvenience of hanging meat in my house. But I didn’t have the patience to look up a more user friendly recipe like this one
) Great job, friend on a challenge superbly executed!
Food Lover
/ February 14, 2013Oooooh yum!!
Eva Taylor
/ February 14, 2013What an interesting post, I too would have an issue with the raw meat hanging around, but I do have a smoker so that would work. I really like the presentation, particularly with the dip on top as the poached mortadella doesn’t have the loveliest colour when cooked. It’s really cool that the chicken sausage didn’t need a casing and yet it stayed together very well. You really pulled this post together, considering you had considered not participating. Nicely done.
Shibi Thomas
/ February 14, 2013I simply love each of them. Making own sausage is a bumper when you think of eating healthy…very good one. I will definitely try this.
Minnie@thelady8home
/ February 14, 2013I have never made sausages before, and though my kids like it a lot, I hesitate in buying them from the store. These sausages look so tempting that I have a mind to give them a try. Lovely post Sawsan!!
Victoria of Flavors of the Sun
/ February 14, 2013Oh, Sawsan, I loved, loved, loved this post. I have never made anything like the Aleppo Mortadella (Chicken Sausages, yes, but maybe not as delicious-looking as these). I must try this recipe. I loved the background as well. Thank you so much for sharing.
Cher
/ February 14, 2013Beautiful results. I am very interested by the olive (Aleppan mortadella sausage). You totally mastered this challenge!
We have a long/ holiday weekend this weekend, so I hope to be able to make some stuffed challenges during the holiday.
chefconnie
/ February 14, 2013Wonderful post. Making sausage is very satisfying. I will have to pick up that book. I make a pork breakfast sausage that is spicy, sweet and smoky. I am going to make some Gyros loaf to roast over a fire this spring. I found a great recipe and cannot wait to try it.
Tales and Travels of the Tin Man
/ February 14, 2013Sawson……….you continue to amaze me. Your sausages turned out so wonderful. I grew up on a farm and we made all our own food, including all the meats and sausages. I am so impressed that anyone would bother or even knows how to prepare sausage anymore. I love your mortadella recipe and will be making that soon. Thank you again for sharing your wonderful talent. Your photographs continue to stun me. Ciao!
josephine
/ February 14, 2013This is simply fantastic …. thank you so much for posting this!
fati's recipes
/ February 14, 2013Loving the mortadella!
Eha
/ February 14, 2013Wow! I am one of the people who rarely buys storebought sausages for the usual reasons: fats, salt, nitrites/nitrates etc et al. But you have given two beautiful and very doable recipes both of which I will most certainly make. Absolutely love the poached mortadella: it ticks all the boxes for me, but the lighter chicken sausages also have huge appeal! Never mind parties, I would make either for own breakfast, lunch or supper
! [Hope your eyes are improving . . . ]
Choc Chip Uru
/ February 14, 2013I think this seems to be a charcutterie heaven
Your platters look stunning my friend!
Cheers
CCU