Preparation:
Boudin is the French term for the blood sausage, or "pudding," made with the blood of the pig. Boudin blanc is a white sausage made with pork but no blood. This Louisiana version adds rice and is even whiter.
Makes 3 sausages, each about 30 inches long. Place the sausage casing in a bowl. Pour in enough warm water to cover it and soak for 2 - 3 hours, until it is soft and pliable. Meanwhile, put the pork in a heavy 4-5 quart casserole and add enough water to cover it by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam and scum that rise to the surface.
Add 2 cups of onion, the bay leaf, peppercorns and 1 tsp salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chunks of pork to a plate. Put the pork, the remaining 2 cups of onions, the green pepper, parsley, green onions and garlic through the medium blade of a food grinder and place the mixture in a deep bowl. Add the rice, sage, cayenne and black pepper and the remaining 4 tsp of salt. Knead vigorously with both hands, then beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Taste for seasoning. To make each sausage, tie a knot 3 inches from one end of a length of the casing. Fit the open end over the funnel (or "horn") on the sausage making attachment of a meat grinder.
Then ease the rest of the casing onto the funnel, squeezing it up like the folds of an accordion. Spoon the meat mixture into the mouth of the grinder and, with a wooden pestle, push it through into the casing. As you fill it, the casing will inflate and gradually ease away from the funnel in a ropelike coil. Fill the casing to within an inch or so for the funnel end but do not try to stuff it too tightly, or it may burst. Slip the casing off the funnel and knot the open end. You may cook the sausages immediately or refrigerate them safely for five or six days.
Before cooking a sausage, prick the casing in five or six places with a skewer or the point of a small sharp knife. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter with 1 tbs of oil in a heavy 12 inch skillet set over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, place the sausage in the skillet, coiling it in concentric circles. Turning the sausage with tongs, cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until it is brown on both sides. |
