Recipe: Boudin Blanc Aux Herbes St. Germain

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 bunch tarragon

1/2 bunch basil

1/2 bunch parsley

2 green onions, chopped

2 shallots

14 ounces lean veal, trimmed

14 ounces lean chicken meat, trimmed

14 ounces pork fatback or veal fat

1 pound ice cubes with a little cold water

1 1/4 tablespoons salt

3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground mace or nutmeg

Pork or sheep casings

Butter

Bring milk and cream to boil. Add tarragon, basil, parsley, green onions and shallots. Let boil 1 minute. Drain. Chill herbs and cream mixture separately until cold, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Grind veal, chicken meat and fat separately through fine grinding plate. Repeat to grind even more finely.

Place herbs in food processor or sausage chopper and finely grind. Add veal, chicken and 1/3 of ice and water mixture. Grind until water is absorbed. Add salt, white pepper, allspice and mace. Add another 1/3 of ice and water and process until almost smooth. Add milk mixture and remaining ice and water. Process until emulsion is smooth, fine and creamy. Remove mixture and keep cold.

Place ground fat in processor and process until smooth and creamy. Slowly add meat mixture, processing until smooth and creamy (temperature should not exceed 55 degrees).

Slide wet casings onto stuffing horn or funnel tube. Tie knot in end. Feed in sausage meat, filling casing loosely. Pinch sausage at 5- to 6-inch lengths, then twist or twirl twice to make links.

Poach sausages in large kettle, covered with cheesecloth, 20 minutes for larger pork casings and 7 to 10 minutes for smaller sheep casings. Water temperature should be about 180 degrees. Transfer sausages from poaching water to ice cold water to cool quickly 5 to 12 minutes. (If not grilling immediately, store, covered, in refrigerator 4 to 5 days.)

Saute in small amount of butter until lightly golden. If desired, add small amount of wine to remaining drippings and pour over sausages upon serving. Serve with butter-sauteed onions and cooked potatoes, if desired. Makes about 20 pork-casing sausages or 40 sheep-casing sausages.

Note: Sheep casings will be finer and more tender than pork casings.