Basic Chicken Sausage

NOTE: Remember keeping the chicken as cold as possible throughout making is best. Never let the chicken freeze. Ask your butcher making sure the chicken is fresh and has never been frozen. The USDA reports that at least 10% of chickens moisture/water is lost once frozen and then thawed, an additional 10% is lost when cooked. Retaining as much of the nearly 65% water in chicken tissue is best for both dryness and flavor of your sausage. After making your sausage, store it at least overnight in the coldest part of the refrigerator.  If when you begin to cook your fresh chicken patties they seem to be leaching out a great deal of moisture into the pan your chicken has been previously frozen. Sadly at this point nothing you can do will rehydrate the sausage. Now if you still are game lets go.

I have found that this recipe works as a strong place to start for most every version of sausage I make. Feel free to adjust the spices to best fit your palette.

Take all of the dry spices and herbs, vinegar or lemon juice and add these to the cold chicken broth. At this point you will also add the individual recipes additional spices and ingredients together depending on the recipe desired. Mix well together and place back in the refrigerator.

If you plan to grind you own chicken I have described how to do so using the Kitchen Aid meat grinder attachment. This attachment is easy to use and to clean and is available for $39.95 at most suppliers. The attachment comes with two blade sizes, a 16 and 23. Use the larger size the 23 blade. Clean and dry the chicken thighs, using the skin and any additional fats will help to hydrate your sausage but it is not necessary.  Dice the chicken into approximately 2" cubes for ease of pushing into the grinder. Toss well the diced chicken with the vinegar or lemon juice. Start the grinder and run at a medium speed, slowly using the supplied tool push the diced chicken into the grinder. Once you have ground the cold chicken add the cold spices and liquids mixture into the chicken, using you hands mix well.  The chicken will absorb the liquids. Cover and place the chicken mixture back into the refrigerator keeping this mixture as cold as possible without freezing until completing and forming.

NOTE: This recipe is not meant to be a final sausage flavor simply a place to begin.  At this point the flavor will be very basic. 

Allow the sausage to become as cold as it can without freezing before forming into patties.
Taking small measured food scoops or full tablespoon scoops at approximately 3.8 oz. each begin to roll into small meat balls, ground chicken meat is very sticky and will be hard to work with, keep a small dish of water near and dip your fingers occasionally and often keeping your hands damp and not wet to make the process easier.  Form the patties approximately 3" in diameter. Place the formed patties onto a parchment lined 3-4" sided flat bottomed storage container. My container is 9x13x4 and can easily hold 12 patties per layer. Gently lay a second layer pf parchment onto the first layer and continue. Cover the final layer with parchment before chilling. It is best to place the completed patties in the coldest part of the refrigerator over night before cooking.

Using a non-stick skillet with a non-compromised bottom lightly covered with EVOO. If you have used your non-stick surface with non-stick sprays or metal tools your pan has been compromised. Use only quality cooking oils on non-stick pans. NEVER use non-stick cooking sprays on non-stick pans, they will build up on your surfaces making them no longer non-stick. Non-stick sprays are designed to be used on stick pans.

Heat slowly on medium heat checking the patties to see just how the heat is transferred across the pan. Using a small silicone cookie spatula press each patty lightly making the surfaces flatter. Once the edges of the patties have begun to turn light flip the patties over, the bottom should have the beginning of browning.  Repeat after about the same time has past on the second side. Flip back over finishing the first side to a medium brown, flip one last time finishing the last side. Once you "learn" your stove and pan this will be so easy. Touch test the patties by gently push the center of each patty it should firm, not hard and should bounce right back once pushed. If it is "softish" and stays in just a bit it needs more time.

The sausage can be stored stacked on each other and side by side stacks in a small oven safe metal or glass covered dish at the warming setting (165°) for up to an hour. The sausages juices will help to hold the patties .