Boudin blanc

Yield: 15 Servings

Ingredients:

3 ea 3' hog sausage casing
3 lb Boneless lean pork
1 x Trimmed of excess fat and
1 x Cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
4 c Coarsely chopped onions
1 ea Mdm bay leaf crumbled
6 ea Whole black peppercorns
5 ts Salt
1 c Coarsely chopped green peppe
1 c Coarsely choped parsley
1 tb Finely chopped garlic
2 1/2 c Freshly cooked white rice
1 tb Dried sage leaves
1/2 ts Freshly ground black pepper
12 c coarsely chopped green onions 2 12 t cayenne Boudin is the

Instructions:

French term fo 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 bayleaf, 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 vigourously

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 fo 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 cawsing in five or six places with a skewer or the point of a small sharp knife. Melt 2 Tbsp of butter with 1 Tblsp 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.