Leeks have the sweetest flavor of any vegetable in the onion family, which contrasts nicely with bits of sharp blue cheese in this sausage. These sausages need no sauce or mustard to enjoy.
Medium hog sausage casings
2 pounds boneless chicken or turkey thigh meat with skin attached
3 large leeks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Chicken Stock or purchased low-sodium stock
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Prepare sausage casings as directed.
2. Cut chicken 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 chicken chills, heat butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until leeks soften. Add chicken stock to the skillet, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until only 3 tablespoons of liquid remains. Set aside.
4. Grind chicken 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 chicken, leek mixture, blue cheese, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper 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 4-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. Cook sausages as directed to an internal temperature of 165°F when pierced with an instant-read thermometer or as directed in a specific recipe.
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.