Veal and dill are frequently paired in Scandinavian cooking. These subtle poached sausages are ethereal topped with a simple cream sauce, served with steamed asparagus or green beans.
Medium hog sausage casings
11/2 pounds veal shoulder or boneless veal breast
1/2 pound veal fat or beef fat
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground ginger
1. Prepare sausage casings as directed.
2. Cut veal and fat into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes on a sheet of plastic wrap on a plate and freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm.
3. While meat chills, heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until onion softens. Set aside. Combine egg and milk in a small cup, and beat well. Stir in breadcrumbs, and set aside.
4. Grind veal and fat through the fine disk of a meat grinder, or in small batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade using the on-and-off pulse button. If using a food processor, do not process into a paste, but ingredients should be very finely chopped.
5. Combine ground meat, onion mixture, egg mixture, dill, salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger in a mixing bowl, and knead mixture until well blended. Fry 1 tablespoon of mixture in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
6. Stuff mixture into casings as described and twist off into 5-inch links; prick air bubbles with a straight pin or skewer. If time permits, arrange links on a wire rack over a baking sheet and air-dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 day before cooking.
7. To poach sausages, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add sausages, and maintain water at a bare simmer. Cook sausages for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm. Remove one sausage to a plate with tongs and insert an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature is 160°F, sausages are done. If not, return to the pot and continue cooking. Remove sausages from the pan with tongs, and serve immediately or cool to room temperature, lightly covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
Note: Sausages can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Once cooked, they can be refrigerated up to 3 days.