Authentic Andouille Cajun Sausage Recipes

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Soak the casing in cold water for about an hour to soften it and loosen the salt in which it is packed. Place the wide end of the sausage stuffer up against the sink faucet and run cold water through the inside of the casing to remove excess salt.
• Cut the meat and fat into 1/2-inch wide chunks. Pass them once through the coarse blade of a meat grinder. In a large bowl, mix together the ground pork and fat with the garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, sage, and hickory smoke. A wooden spoon works well.
• Cut the casing into 26 inch lengths and tie a small knot in one end of each. Fit the open end over the tip of the sausage stuffer and slide it on until the tip of the stuffer touches the knot. The casing will look like accordion folds. This keeps excess air from getting into the casings. Fit the stuffer onto the meat grinder or according the directions that come with the stuffer, or hold the wide end of the stuffer against or over the opening by hand.
• Fill the hopper with the sausage mixture. Turn the machine on if it is electric and feed the stuffing gradually into the hopper; for a manual machine, push the stuffing through with a wooden pestle. The sausage casing will fill and inflate gradually. Stop filling about 1 1/4 inches from the funnel end and slip the casing off the funnel, smoothing out any bumps carefully with your fingers and being careful not to push the stuffing out of the casing. Tie off the open end of the sausage tightly with a piece of string or make a knot in the casing itself.
• To cook, slice the sausage into half-inch rounds and grill in a hot skillet with no water for about 12 minutes on each side, or until brown and crisp at the edges.

ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE HASH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir until sausage is browned, 6-8 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon. In same pan, add potatoes. Cover and cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a greased 11x7-in. baking dish, layer sausage and potatoes., In a small bowl, combine cheese sauce and hot sauce; pour over potatoes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly and cheese is golden brown, 30-35 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with green onions. Let stand 10 minutes before serving., Make-Ahead: Refrigerate unbaked hash, covered, several hours or overnight. To use, preheat oven to 425°. Remove hash from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake as directed, increasing time as necessary until golden brown. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

CAJUN ANDOUILLE RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Grind all of the pork and fat through a one-quarter inch or three-eighths inch plate. Refrigerate the ground pork until well chilled, ideally 32 to 34 degrees Fahrenheit. When the meat is chilled, mix the water with the Morton cure. Then thoroughly mix the remaining ingredients with the water/cure mixture. Then thoroughly mix the water/cure/spice mixture with the ground pork. Immediately stuff into 1½ inch hog casings. Hang the sausage in your smoker. Start smoking at 135°F with the vents slightly open for 20 minutes to dry the casings. Then increase the temperature to 165 degrees and continue smoking, applying medium smoke until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 155°F. Immediately remove the sausage from the smoker and shower the sausage with water until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 110°F. Allow the sausage to dry for 10 to 15 minutes and immediately package and place in the refrigerator or freezer.

AUTHENTIC CHICKEN AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE GUMBO

Steps:

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper and Creole seasoning and brown quickly. Brown the sausage, pour off fat and reserve meats.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat the oil and cook the flour in the oil over medium to high heat (depending on your roux-making skill), stirring constantly, until the roux reaches a dark reddish-brown color, almost the color of coffee or milk chocolate for a Cajun-style roux. If you want to save time, or prefer a more New Orleans-style roux, cook it to a medium, peanut-butter color, over lower heat if you're nervous about burning it.
• Add the vegetables and stir quickly. This cooks the vegetables and also stops the roux from cooking further. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes.
• Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
• Add the chopped scallion tops and parsley, and heat for 5 minutes. Add file powder to taste just before serving. This also acts as a thickening agent. Serve over rice in large shallow bowls. Accompany with a good beer and lots of hot, crispy French bread.