Crunchy nuts, aromatic dill, and sharp feta cheese are the accent flavors in this robust sausage. Serve it topped with Herbed Marinara Sauce alongside a Greek salad.
Medium hog sausage casings
2 pounds boneless chicken or turkey thigh meat with skin attached
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped shelled pistachio nuts
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
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 oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Set aside.
4. Grind chicken through the coarse 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, onion mixture, cheese, pistachio nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato sauce, dill, salt, pepper, and oregano 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 165°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.