While I may be taking some liberties with my recipe titles, I decree that any sausage containing rice can be called boudin. Subtle Japanese seasonings and a bit of fiery wasabi give these sausages a decidedly Asian flavor.
Medium hog sausage casings
2 pounds boneless chicken or turkey thigh meat with skin attached
1 cup cooked white rice
1 bunch scallions, white parts and 4 inches of green tops, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium Japanese soy sauce
2 tablespoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon wasabi powder
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. 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.
4. Combine chicken, rice, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, and wasabi powder 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.