My favorite way to roast a chicken is with lemon, rosemary, and garlic, so why not make sausage with the same winning combination?
Medium hog sausage casings (optional)
2 pounds boneless chicken or turkey thigh meat with skin attached
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons white vermouth or dry white wine
11/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. If using sausage casings, prepare them 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 shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until shallot is translucent.
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, shallot mixture, rosemary, vermouth, lemon zest, 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, if using, 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. Alternately, if keeping sausage in bulk, refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.
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.