Creole Sausage

Name: Creole Sausage
Yield: makes about 1 pound
Ingredients: 1 pound ground pork; 1/4 cup minced yellow or white onion; 2 small cloves garlic, minced or pressed; 3/4 teaspoon minced fresh small red or green chile; 2 teaspoons cider or red wine vinegar; 1 teaspoon hot or sweet Hungarian paprika; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/2 small bay leaf, vein removed, leaf finely chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

January 24, 2012

In the early eighteenth century, Spanish colonists brought a paprika-and-cayenne-seasoned sausage to Louisiana, where they added fresh red chiles and a dash of vinegar to create what is now known as Creole sausage. It is an assertive sausage that rings out “Let the good times roll!” It dances sprightly in gumbo with shrimp and oysters (page 21) and lends vivacity to a New Orleans plate with crab cakes and Cajun rémoulade (page 128). It is also delicious formed into appetizer-size balls, sautéed, and served with rémoulade for dipping.

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