Boudin Blanc Recipe from New Orleans

here's a recipe that I don't want to lose

Boudin Blanc with Brown Beer and Juniper Sauce

Makes 10 sausage links (about 12” in length)

Spice Mix

1 ¼ tsp kosher salt

1 Tbsp herbs de Provence

1 tsp ground white pepper

1 Tbsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp rubbed sage

1 Tbsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground bay leaves

For the Boudin

1 lb lean ground pork

1 lb fatty ground pork

1 c. crème fraiche or heavy cream

3/4 c. water

1 onion finely chopped

1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic

2 whole green onions or the equivalent of leeks, chopped

4 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 lb leftover cooked chicken, finely chopped or the equivalent of ground turkey.

3 c. cooled cooked rice (1½ c. rice and 1½ c. water, cooked 18 minutes on a low flame covered.

Method

Mix spices & set aside. Mix chicken (turkey) and rice & set aside. In a 6 qt. pot with a heavy bottom, cook everything else for 15 minutes on the stove over medium heat. Stir in chicken (turkey) rice mixture and spices, mix well and let sit off the heat for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time to cool and incorporate flavors.

If you’re stuffing the meat into sausage link, do it now. If you want to create boudin patties, let the mixture sit in the refrigerator until cold before forming patties; in either case, let it rest in the refrigerator a few hours to a couple of days before cooking/serving.

To Serve

Brown boudin links or patties on both sides in a little lard in a cast iron skillet on medium heat. We recommend that you serve this with sauce (see recipe) and mashed potatoes.

Sauce

1 qt  warmed chicken stock, set aside

½ c. chicken fat, vegetable oil or a mix of the two

½ c. all purpose flour

4 whole bay leaves1/2 bottle ale or brown beer2 Tbsp juniper berries

½ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp ground white pepper

1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaf or 2 tsp dry leaf thyme

Method

Make a chocolate colored roux (see note), slowly and carefully, for it may spatter and you don’t want the ‘Cajun Napalm’ getting on you, mix in the warmed chicken stock, add the bay leaves and cook 10 minutes longer. Add beer, juniper berries, salt, white pepper and thyme: cook 15-20 minutes longer on low heat. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream. If too thick thin with water. If it is too thin, cook a little longer, being careful not to burn anything.

Making the Roux

In a 4 Qt heavy bottom sauce pan, on a medium to almost high heat, heat the chicken fat (oil) until it is hot enough to ‘shimmer’ (remember: this is where you are being VERY careful) with a wire whisk, slowly add the flour until it is all incorporated; lower the flame to almost medium and switch to a long handled wooden spoon to stir the mixture (roux) until it begins to turn color from opaque white to light brown to pale tan and finally to milk chocolate color adjusting the flame downward to avoid scorching, burning or even cooking unevenly or too quickly. This should take you 10-20 minutes. When the roux is the color of chocolate add the warmed chicken stock and continue adding the other ingredients as instructed above.