Boudin Balls Recipes

BOUDIN BALLS (FRIED CAJUN APPETIZERS)

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, season the flour with Cajun Seasoning Blend. In another shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs. In a third shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.
• With 2 tablespoon scooper or wet hands, shape the boudin into balls the size of unshelled walnuts. Roll the balls in the flour, and then toss them in the beaten egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the breadcrumbs, turning to coat them evenly. Pressing gently to adhere.
• Transfer the boudin balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with wire rack and paper towels. Working in batches and turning often, fry until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on rack lined baking sheet. Let cool briefly before serving as is or with Remoulade sauce.

BOUDIN BALLS

Steps:

• Stir pork shoulder, livers, onion, celery, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, garlic, kosher salt, 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper together in a large pot. Cover the pot with a lid and refrigerate until flavors combine, 2 hours to overnight.
• Pour enough water into the pork mixture to cover by 2-inches; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat. Pour mixture through a strainer, reserving strained liquid and meat separately.
• Transfer drained meat mixture to a cutting board and finely chop.
• Stir chopped meat, rice, parsley, and green onion together in a bowl. Gradually add reserved cooking liquid, 1 ladleful at a time, to meat mixture, stirring until completely incorporated between each addition, until mixture has a paste-like consistency. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours to overnight.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll chilled meat mixture into 1-inch balls.
• Whisk flour, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper together in a shallow bowl. Pour breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl. Beat eggs in another shallow bowl.
• Gently press 1 ball into flour mixture to coat; shake off the excess flour. Dip ball into the beaten egg; press ball into bread crumbs. Place breaded ball onto a plate and repeat breading process with remaining meat balls.
• Working in batches, cook boudin balls in preheated oil, turning once, until crispy on the outside and hot on the inside, 3 to 4 minutes.

BASIC BOUDIN BALLS

Steps:

• Remove boudin from casing; mix in fresh chiles.
• Shape mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball or smaller.
• Dip in beaten egg mixture and then into seasoned bread crumbs.
• I like to either use a large bowl with the bread crumbs in it and tossing 10 balls in it at a time and"tossing" to coat.
• [Bestto coat only as many balls as you can fry at one time; seasoning gets soggy if allowed to sit].
• Or, put bread crumbs in a large plastic bag, add balls, and"shake".
• Heat approx 1 1/2 inch of oil in a large, heavy bottomed (cast iron is excellent) skillet.
• Deep fat fry balls at 375 degrees (temp may be lowered, but no lower than 345 degrees) until golden brown, about 10 minutes per batch.
• Drain on paper towels.

BOUDIN SAUSAGE BALLS

Steps:

• To make the boudin sausage, in a large saucepan, combine the pork butt, pork liver, water, onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the pork and liver are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from the heat and drain, reserving the broth.
• Using a meat grinder with a 1/4-inch die or in a food processor, grind the pork mixture, 1/2 cup parsley, and 1/2 cup green onions. Turn the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the rice, remaining salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a smooth, firm paste, and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• In a large pot, preheat the vegetable oil to 360 degrees F.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon of Essence. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the water and 1 teaspoon of Essence to make an egg wash. In a third bowl, season the bread crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of Essence.
• Shape the pork and rice mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Dredge the pork balls first in the flour, then dip in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the seasoned bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly.
• Using a slotted spoon, slide the balls in batches into the oil and fry, turning, until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season lightly with Essence.
• To serve, place several boudin balls on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with Creole Tartar Sauce on the side.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Put the egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions in a food processor and puree for 15 seconds. With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Add the cayenne, mustard, and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving, 1 hour.

QUE CRAWL'S BOUDIN BALLS

Steps:

• Heat a smoker to 180° to 200°F, preferably using a mixture of oak, hickory, and pecan.
• Season the pork butt liberally with salt and the rub, place in a large pan, and transfer to the smoker. Cook for about 6 hours. Remove the pork from the smoker, cover the pan with a lid or tented foil, and transfer to a 250°F oven. Cook until you can pull the meat apart with a gentle tug, about 2 additional hours. Remove from the oven, let cool, and shred the pork. Set aside. Reserve the pan juices.
• While the pork is cooking, purée 4 cloves of garlic, the onion, celery, and bell peppers in a food processor. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the onion mixture until all of the moisture has evaporated.
• Add the chicken stock, 3/4 cup of the reserved stock, the cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and sage and bring to a boil. Add the popcorn rice, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and set aside.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and duck livers and sauté until browned, about 7 minutes. Set aside.
• Brush the green onions with canola oil and season with salt and pepper. Either grill them until they are lightly charred, about 2 minutes, or sauté until the edges brown, about 4 minutes. Chop finely.
• In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together the pulled pork, cooked rice, duck livers, and green onions, then form the mixture into golf ball-size balls.
• Heat the oil in a deep fryer or large heavy-bottomed pan to 350°F. (The oil should be at least 3 inches deep.) Meanwhile, spread the flour on a plate, put the beaten eggs in a shallow bowl, and spread the bread crumbs on a separate plate. Dredge the boudin balls in the flour, then the beaten eggs, and then the bread crumbs and carefully drop into the hot oil. Working in batches, fry them until brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately with dipping sauce.

CHORIZO BOUDIN BALLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine ground pork with salt, pepper, cayenne, chile flakes, chile powder, paprika, vinegar and oregano. Mix to combine well, cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about an hour.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add seasoned ground pork and cook until brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion, celery, garlic and jalapeños and cook until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken livers and roasted pork pieces and cook until livers are colored on the outside but still pink inside, about 2 minutes; remove from heat and let cool.
• Transfer mixture to a clean work surface and chop into small, even pieces about the size of peas. Place in a large mixing bowl and combine with cooked rice, parsley, cilantro and pork drippings. Stir for 5 minutes or until mixture is sticky and the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Taste and reseason if needed.
• Place flour, egg wash and panko in three separate dishes. Form boudin mixture into small spheres the size of golf balls. Roll balls in flour, then egg wash, then panko. Place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet until ready to cook. (You may hold them in the refrigerator overnight, or freeze them, wrapped well, for up to a month. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
• Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with 3 inches of vegetable oil and set over high heat. When oil reaches 375 degrees as registered by a deep-fry thermometer, add boudin balls. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, cook until golden brown and heated all the way through, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer balls to a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Return oil to 375 degrees and repeat process with remaining balls. (They can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven between batches.) Serve hot or at room temperature.