SMOKED POTATO AND ARTICHOKE SAUSAGE

image MAKES ABOUT 12 SAUSAGES

MILDER THAN OUR OTHER SAUSAGES with a natural sweetness and a little smokiness, these make great breakfast sausages and tend to be a hit at the kid’s table, too. We don’t use fresh herbs in any of our other sausage recipes, but I love the dill here for its brightness and the way it complements the flavors of the tender potatoes and artichoke. You can grill these superversatile sausages, freeze them for later, or do as I do and use them up in your favorite sandwiches, pastas, or scrambles. It’s hard to go wrong.

3 cups Grain Meat Grind (here)

VEGETABLE MIXTURE

1 medium-size yellow onion, ¼-inch diced

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and chopped into ¼-inch pieces

8 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons vegan chicken base

DRY MIXTURE

¼ cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

LIQUID MIXTURE

½ cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup white wine

1 yellow potato, 1/5-inch diced

8 sprigs dill, large stems removed and fronds minced

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

FINAL ADDITION

1¼ cups vital wheat gluten

EQUIPMENT

½ length sausage casing (about 5 inches still compressed; see note here) or 24 inches aluminum foil or waxed paper

24 inches butcher’s twine

Sausage stuffer or sausage stuffer attachment

1. Place the grind in a large mixing bowl and set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the vegetable mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Remove from the heat and cool in the fridge. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle, add them to the grind in the mixing bowl.

3. Combine the dry mixture ingredients in a small bowl, then combine with the grind mixture. Toss to coat thoroughly.

4. Whisk together the liquid mixture in a small bowl and combine with the grind mixture, stirring together with a large spoon. Add the vital wheat gluten and combine fully with your hand.

5. Extrude the sausage into the casing, tying it off with the butcher’s twine. (Alternatively, see “Making Great Sausage at Home,” here, if you do not have casing.) The sausages should not be stuffed too tightly, or else they will burst during the cooking process.

6. Steam the sausages for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to cool.

7. When the sausages are cool enough to handle carefully remove the casing, and store the sausages in a resealable plastic bag in the fridge until ready to use.

CHEF’S NOTE: A few things will really help make your life easy when filling the casing with this sausage mixture. First, we don’t precook the potato for this sausage because it’d just fall apart when you go to put it in the casing. Second, you want to make sure to dice your potato to the point where it’ll still go through the sausage horn or, similarly, it’ll get stuck.