Organic Pork Chilian Chocolate Sausages

Use: Sausage machine or large piping bag, 2cm-3cm (1/2in-1 in) nozzle. Enough sausage skins for 1 kg or 2lb mix.
HINT: If you think filling the sausages sounds too daunting, I suggest you could give the mix to your local friendly butcher and bribe him to make them!

Preparation time: 1 hour +   Quantity: Makes 16 small or 10 large   Cooking time: 10 - 15 minutes

Ingredients

500g /18 oz organic coarsely minced belly of pork
250g/ 9 oz organic small-diced belly of pork
2 sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon coriander leaves and stalks, chopped
1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon thyme, chopped
25g butter
1 tablespoon corn oil
175g/ 6 oz red onion, finely chopped
1 green chilli finely chopped without the seeds
6g (1/2 in) skinned ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2-teaspoon ground mace
1/2-teaspoon ground paprika
1/8 whole fresh nutmeg, grated
1/2-teaspoon ground cumin
90g dark chocolate 70%

Method

  • Soak the sausage skins in a bowl of tepid water with a tablespoon of vinegar for about half an hour, they will become soft and elastic • Wash the sausage skins thoroughly in cold water and run the water through them by attaching them to the tap
  • Mix the ground and diced pork, sage, coriander, parsley and lemon thyme in a bowl using your hands
  • Sauté the red onion, chilli pepper, ginger and garlic in the butter and corn oil until soft, but not browned
  • Add the mace, paprika, nutmeg and cumin to the sautéed mixture while it is still hot.
  • Cook together for a few minutes to release the flavour of the spices
  • Melt the chocolate in a bowl, suspended over simmering water/Bain Marie
  • Add the onion and spice mixture and the melted chocolate to the bowl of pork and mix together well, seasoning with a good dash of salt and pepper, your sausage filling is now ready
  • Alternatively, if you’re not in a hurry leave the mix to infuse in the fridge overnight
  • Load up your sausage machine or piping bag with the filling (if using a piping bag do not put all the filling into the piping bag at once as it makes it more difficult to force it through)
  • Ease the casing over the nozzle tying the casing at the end leaving about three inches hanging loose
  • Feed the filling through making one long, fat sausage and then once the casing is almost full make a knot at the top end
  • Divide it up into individual sausages by twisting each section in alternate directions to prevent the sausages unwinding. Cut the sausage skins in the middle of each twisted section
  • Sausages are best-rested overnight- to prevent the skins from splitting when cooked- but you can cook them straight away- but cook them slowly
  • Grill, roast, B.B.Q, pan-fry or griddle the sausages till just cooked- don’t nuke them