Ysabelle's Homemade Spicy Meat or Fish Sausages
Easy Gourmet Recipe for University Students First-Time Cooks
Mar 16, 2009
This homemade meat or fish sausage recipe is one of those dishes that may sound complicated, but is actually hassle-free, even for first-time cooks, especially university students just starting out to cook on their own. They come out more flavorsome than store-bought, pre-cooked, straight-out-of-the-freezer sausages. Of course, it's home-cooked, too, which adds more character to the dish because it carries the signature of the person who made them.
This recipe may use ground meat like beef, pork, chicken or mutton, or ground fish fillets. One may also prepare a combination of ground beef and mutton or ground beef and pork sausages. There's flexibility in the use of ingredients. Spices are readily available in Asian stores or from supermarkets with shelves dedicated to Asian condiments.
Utensils and Equipment Needed for the Preparation of Ysabelle's Spicy Homemade Meat or Fish Sausages
The student chef will need a deep bowl for mixing the meat with the other ingredients, a wooden spoon, a plate or platter to put the uncooked patties, while waiting for the grill to heat up, a spatula or small tongs to turn the sausages while grilling or frying, and another plate to put the cooked sausages. If using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for at least 10 minutes before use.
For cooking equipment, one must have access to a cooker and a stove-top grill pan, or a charcoal-fed barbecue grill. Cooking with charcoal should be done out of doors. If a stove-top grill pan is not available, a non-stick frying pan will do, since these sausages could also be fried in butter or oil. Wear an apron. Watch out for hot oil splatters.
Ysabelle's Spicy Homemade Meat or Fish Sausages
Makes 14 Sausages / Good for 3-4 persons
Ingredients:
- 500 grams ground meat or ground fish fillets
- 1 tbsp or more freshly-ground black pepper
- (If mortar and pestle are available, pound some black peppercorns in it)
- 1 tbsp or 1/2 tbsp chilli flakes or thinly-sliced fresh chillies
- (One could use more chilli flakes, according to taste. If using fresh chillies, be sure to put on one of those disposable plastic food handler's gloves before slicing the chillies.)
- 1/2 tbsp each of cinnamon powder, cumin powder, and allspice powder
- 1/3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 piece small red onion or a few shallots, peeled and grated
- 1/3 tbsp fennel seeds
- juice of two medium-sized limes or one large lemon
- a sprinkling of sea salt or iodized salt to taste
- butter or oil, if frying the sausages
- sliced lemons, tomatoes, red or yellow onions, carrots, bell peppers (optional)
Procedure:
- Put the ground meat in a deep bowl. If using ground fish fillets, check for fish bone parts, just to be on the safe side of things.
- Add all the other ingredients into the ground meat, except the butter or oil and the optional vegetables. Mix well using a wooden spoon or put on a pair of plastic food handler's gloves and thoroughly hand-mix the meat, spices and lime or lemon juice. Patty consistency should be soft and juicy-looking, not dry.
- Scoop up some of the meat mixture and shape it into a 4-inch long, medium-sized sausage patty. Put patty on ready plate and make more patties. Alternatively, thread a bamboo skewer through a slice of lemon or other sliced vegetables, followed by the patty. Press the meat lightly against the skewer, to make sure the mixture does not fall off during cooking. This recipe allows for at least 14 sausage patties.
- Lightly oil the stove-top grill before putting it on medium heat. Cook patties, turning them over a few times, for even cooking. If frying, melt butter or heat up the oil in the pan. Any cooking oil may be used: olive, corn, soybean, coconut or groundnut oil.
- The patties are ready, when they turn golden to dark brown. Fish patties tend to cook quicker than meat patties.
- Arrange the cooked sausages attractively on a platter. Garnish with a sprig of mint or sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander. Can be eaten hot or cold.
Please see recipes for recommended side dishes. .
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