Trendy SAUSAGES

They’re back . . . rich and earthy . . . robust, unpretentious sausages.

Indeed, for some it’s a delicious revival. For aficionados, however, sausages have always been around--to relish each time with renewed gusto.

The California trend is for fresh homey sausages, a betrayal of the influence of country-style French charcuteries. Unsmoked, uncured, nitrite-free--these are the bywords for freshness.

Although pork is still favored by many, the contemporary fresh sausage now bursts with a variety of chopped meats--there’s rabbit, veal, duck, chicken, lobster, shrimp, fish and crab. Other than being partners with potatoes for hearty meat and potato eaters, sausages have gone nouvelle, too. They’re in the meticulous hands of fine chefs who zest up composed salads and entrees with thin slices of herbed-seasoned meat or seafood sausage. Furthermore, duck and rabbit sausages have certainly given an upscaled exotic savor to pizzas.

And it isn’t that pates and terrines are passe , but . . .

“They’re intermittent like the weather, but, sausages you can enjoy them all year,” says Eric Gerber, chef charcutier for Le St. Germain To Go.

Gerber, a skilled sausage maker from Switzerland, showed us how to prepare the lightest, creamiest, most delicate boudin blanc of veal and chicken.

“Sausages are less formal,” says Joe Venezia, a young executive chef at Hotel Bel-Air. “On Saturdays and Sundays we put our homemade sausages out by the pool to grill and serve with crusty sourdough rolls, roasted peppers and relishes. Pates and terrines are generally not spicy, so I prefer sausages because you can make them as spicy as you want.”

Victoria Wise, author of the highly informative, delightful new book, “American Charcuterie” (Viking Penguin: $20), commented, “Most popular at first, pates and terrines, I think, have leveled off.”

Michel Richard seems to have a different opinion.

Admitting that he was partial to pates, the good-natured French chef declared: “I’ve been making sausages back in Champagne country, France, since I was 14 years old. And the only reason I enjoy making them is that people like them so much.”

Aside from not being laden with preservatives, the trendy sausage can also be simplified.

“We’re not only going back to the old-fashioned way with no curing salt but we’re also preparing sausages the easy way,” Richard said. His easy way eliminates any entanglement with natural casings, which is not only difficult to find but can be tricky.

In a skillful, swift manner he stretched out a long sheet of clear plastic wrap, neatly rolled up his lamb sausage mixture and tied a whole length of links in no time. “This technique came about some five years ago when I got an order of sausages and I didn’t have any casings in storage,” he said.

Following this technique, Richard created a delicately light vegetable sausage made with ground chicken, red and green peppers, zucchini and fresh herbs. Given all the fat involved with most sausage mixtures, which is important for succulence, the vegetable sausage is a nice change to please people on low-calorie diets. A tangy fresh tomato salsa vinaigrette makes a pleasant tasting accompaniment.

Richard plans to include light entrees like this for his forthcoming restaurant called Citrus (on Melrose and Citrus avenues). The new restaurant, which will open in the fall, will feature moderately priced California-French food items, he said.

Going back to the casing-less technique to simplify sausage making, the French-style crepinettes is a good example. Victoria Wise demonstrated how to prepare these patties wrapped in caul fat at the Beverly Hills Williams-Sonoma store in conjunction with her book promotion.

She did not use a sausage grinder. Instead, she used a knife to chop the chicken breasts and skins and mixed it with ground pork bought from the grocery store. Not only does that produce an interesting mix of textures from the patties but the hand chopping is good for the triceps, she said.

The net-like caul fat, which is my favorite wrapping for sausage-like meat loaves and terrines, is wonderfully easy to work with. In charcuteries, it is the lacy fat membrane that encloses the lower stomach of a pig or cow. Although perishable and requiring freezer storage, caul fat melts to a nice golden brown while protecting the meat mixture against losing its juices.

Aromatic fresh herbs and vegetable greens are innovative additions to trendy sausages. Spinach and basil not only added color to the crepinettes, but enhanced their flavor as well. I also particularly liked the tomatoes and basil added to Wise’s Tuscan Sausage, a pork and mozzarella combination.

In Mario Sosa’s ( sous chef at Crown Plaza Hotel) succulent duck sausage, these ingredients provided fresh-tasting appeal: cilantro, thyme and marjoram, with Anaheim chiles for a little bite.

It’s enviable enough that Venezia works in garden surroundings at the secluded Bel-Air hotel, but to be able to pick ultra-fresh herbs and salad greens right there, as he can, is the ultimate. Served bias-sliced, Venezia’s Rabbit Sausage, unusually made with cooked Swiss chard, enhances a crisp green bed of arugula, mache and watercress.

Moist and Garlicky

She calls it a chicken bratwurst--moist enough to be in the boudin family and garlicky enough to be a savory sausage. Judy Zeidler’s chicken and chicken liver creation was discovered during a food photography session at her Brentwood home. A few slivers of this casing-less sausage over crusty toast slices and a fresh tomato salsa accompaniment made our day. With quick persuasion we got the recipe, but for those who want to see how this and some terrines are made, they can watch it on “Judy Zeidler’s Kitchen” June 11 at 8:30 p.m. on the Jewish television network on cable.

Testing all these sausage recipes was a project for our Test Kitchen staff, something different. Tasting, of course, was the best part. The highlight was the last recipe tested, the light boudin blanc from Gerber, who used to make sausage formulations for Farmer John’s.

The trick to this type of sausage, Gerber said, was in keeping the mixture cold, grinding the meat mixture twice and making the emulsion as homogenous as possible. “You can get a nice creamy boudin but you can also ruin it by overcooking,” he warned. “I was miserable the other day when my boudins were accidentally overdone in too hot a cooking liquid.”

Indeed, that was an excellent tip to remember in making sausages. If you’ve already handled everything well during the preparation, why not complete the care by cooking them gently, slowly?

“Anybody can make sausages,” Gerber said, “but somebody should like what he’s doing to get near-to-perfect ones.” 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 be finer and more tender than pork casings. MICHEL RICHARD’S VEGETABLE SAUSAGE

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 small zucchini, chopped

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped basil

3/4 pound chicken breast

Salt, pepper

Basil-Tomato Vinaigrette

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until tender. Add zucchini, green and red peppers, cilantro, parsley and basil. Remove from heat. Chill to completely cool.

Grind chicken in food processor. Add to cooled vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Lay about 3 feet of plastic wrap flat on counter. Place meat mixture, in sausage form, onto plastic wrap about 3 inches from long edge. Leave about 4 inches margin on both ends.

Take clear wrap closest to you and cover sausage neatly, rolling tightly into long sausage shape. Pull tightly on both ends while twisting like candy wrap. Tie each end with string, leaving about 2 1/2 inches space between sausage and string for air space. Pinch at 5- to 6-inch intervals, tying each with string to create 6 to 8 links.

Drop in simmering water and poach 4 to 5 minutes. Plunge into cold water to cool. Remove plastic wrap and strings. Serve with Basil-Tomato Vinaigrette. Makes 3 to 4 servings. Basil-Tomato Vinaigrette

1 cup finely chopped tomato

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

10 basil leaves, minced

4 anchovies, minced

Salt, pepper

Combine tomato with olive oil, vinegar, basil and anchovies. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 1 cup. MICHEL RICHARD’S LAMB SAUSAGE

1 1/2 pounds finely ground lamb (with 10% fat)

1 small onion, grated

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/3 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

7 mint leaves, finely chopped

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Cilantro Sauce

Combine ground lamb, onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro and mint in food processor. Process until well kneaded. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to sit and ripen at least 1 hour.

Lay about 3 feet of plastic wrap flat on counter. Place meat mixture, in sausage form, onto plastic wrap about 3 inches from long edge. Leave about 4 inches margin on both ends.

Take clear wrap closest to you and cover sausage neatly, rolling tightly into long sausage shape. Pull tightly on both ends while twisting like candy wrap. Tie each end with string, leaving about 2 1/2 inches space between sausage and string for air space. Pinch at 5- to 6-inch intervals, tying each with string to create 6 links.

Drop in simmering water and poach 6 to 10 minutes, turning halfway during poaching. Plunge into cold water to cool. Remove plastic wrap and strings. Saute in lightly oiled skillet until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Serve with Cilantro Sauce. Makes 6 sausages. Cilantro Sauce

1/2 cup butter

4 green onions, finely sliced

6 mint leaves, minced

1 tablespoon minced cilantro

1/2 cup whipping cream

Salt, white pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add green onions, mint, cilantro and whipping cream. Cook until thickened, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Fold in parsley. Makes 6 servings. HOTEL BEL-AIR’S PORK PEPPER SAUSAGE

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, quartered

2 to 3 shallots, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

5 pounds pork butt, cut into cubes

1 bunch thyme

2 bay leaves

1 large sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 teaspoons crushed dried red chiles

1 bunch beet greens, cooked

1 pound ice cubes

1 1/2 pounds pork fatback, diced

Salt, freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 hank lamb or pork casings, rinsed

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion, shallots and garlic until tender. Place in freezer until ice cold.

Combine onion mixture, pork cubes, thyme, bay leaves, sweet red pepper, dried chiles, beet greens and ice cubes in food processor or meat chopper. Grind finely. Place in freezer to prevent separation of fat.

Mix in heavy-duty mixer with diced pork fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Cook small piece to taste to adjust seasonings.)

Slide 1 length of casing onto stuffing horn or funnel tube and tie knot in end. Pierce hole near end of casing for air to escape while stuffing. Feed in sausage meat, filling casing loosely.

Pinch sausage at 5- to 6-inch length, then twist or twirl twice to make link. Repeat until entire casing is done, then tie or make knot in end. (To prevent becoming undone, tie each link with string.)

Poach in water about 20 minutes, then saute in oiled skillet or grill over charcoal until golden brown. If desired, serve with garlic toast and hot pasta tossed with spinach, beet greens and sundried tomatoes. Makes 3 to 4 dozen lamb links or 2 dozen pork links. HOTEL BEL-AIR’S RABBIT SAUSAGE

2 rabbits

2 tablespoons oil

1 small onion, quartered

2 to 3 shallots, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 ounces prosciutto, chopped

1/2 bunch Italian parsley

1 bunch thyme

1/2 bunch tarragon

2 bay leaves, crushed

1 bunch sage

1/2 sweet red pepper

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons crushed dried red chiles

1/2 bunch Swiss chard, cooked and cooled

1 pound ice cubes

1/2 pound pork fat, diced

Salt, freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 hank pork casings

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 sprigs oregano

Bone rabbits completely. Chop meat. Heat oil in skillet and saute onion, shallots and garlic until tender. Place in freezer until ice cold.

Combine rabbit, onion mixture, prosciutto, parsley, thyme, tarragon, bay leaves, sage, red pepper, dried chiles, Swiss chard and ice cubes in food processor or meat chopper. Grind finely. Chill quickly in freezer to prevent separation.

Place mixture in heavy-duty mixer. Mix in diced pork fat until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Cook small amount of mixture to test correct seasoning.)

Slide 1 length of casing onto stuffing horn or funnel tube and tie knot in end. Pierce hole near end of casing for air to escape while stuffing. Feed in sausage mixture, filling casing loosely.

Pinch sausage at 5- to 6-inch length, then twist or twirl twice to make link. Repeat until entire casing is done, then tie or make knot in end. Poach in water about 20 minutes and grill until golden brown, basting with olive oil and 1 sprig oregano. Garnish with remaining sprig of oregano. Makes 18 sausages.

Note: For skinless sausage, pat mixture into patties and grill on oiled skillet until done. To serve, Venezia suggests slicing sausage on bias and serving with grilled quail over vinaigrette salad of arugula, mache, Greek olives and watercress. JUDY’S CHICKEN BRATWURST

3 cloves garlic

1 onion, quartered

5 green onions, sliced

Chicken breasts

Turkey breast or veal

1/2 pound chicken livers

3/4 cup chicken fat

5 eggs

1/4 cup minced parsley

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed

Dash allspice

Place garlic, onion and green onions in food processor. Add 1 pound chicken breasts, cut up, 3/4 pound turkey breast, cut up, chicken livers and chicken fat. Process until coarsely ground.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, and process until smooth. Add parsley, salt, pepper, coriander, thyme and allspice. Blend thoroughly. Refrigerate.

Dice 1 whole boneless chicken breast and enough turkey breast to make 1 cup. Fold into sausage mixture. Divide mixture into 4 portions.

Lay 1 1/2 feet of plastic wrap flat on counter. Place each meat portion, in sausage form (about 2 inches in diameter), onto plastic wrap, about 3 inches from long edge. Leave about 3 inches margin on both ends.

Take plastic wrap closest to you and cover sausage neatly, rolling tightly into long sausage. Pull tightly on both ends while twisting ends like candy wrap. Tie each end with string. Repeat with remaining mixture. Wrap each sausage with cheesecloth, tying ends with string.

Bring water or chicken stock in large roaster or poacher to boil. Reduce to simmer and place sausage in water. Poach 30 to 40 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove and cool, then refrigerate. Remove strings, cheesecloth and plastic wrap. Cut into thin slices and, if desired, serve with fresh tomato salsa, butter-sauteed onions and garlic toast. Makes 12 to 15 servings. MARIO SOSA’S DUCK-CILANTRO SAUSAGE

2 1/2 pounds boned and cubed duck, skin removed

8 slices bacon

1 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, minced

2 Anaheim green chiles, seeds removed

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons sage

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon marjoram

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro, minced (stems included)

2 eggs

Pork casings, rinsed

Chill duck and bacon thoroughly before grinding. (Chilled mixture facilitates grinding process.) Grind duck and bacon through plate with 1/4-inch holes. Chill.

Melt butter in skillet and lightly brown onion. Cool in freezer. Grind onion and green chiles together. Add to duck mixture. Blend garlic, sage, paprika, thyme, marjoram, allspice, sugar, salt and cilantro. Stir in eggs. Add to duck mixture.

Slide 1 length of wet casing onto stuffing horn or funnel tube and tie knot in end. Pierce hole near end of casing for air to escape while stuffing. Feed in sausage meat, filling casing loosely.

Pinch sausage to 5- to 6-inch length, then twist or twirl twice to make link. Repeat until casing is used up. Tie knot on end. Repeat with remaining mixture. Flavors will be well blended if stored, covered, in refrigerator 2 to 3 days before cooking.

Pierce sausages with fine needle before cooking. Fry in lightly oiled and buttered skillet 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown on all sides. Cover and heat on low until cooked through. Makes about 18 sausages.

Note: Chicken may be substituted for duck. TUSCAN SAUSAGE

5 pounds pork butt, cubed

1/2 pound tomatoes

2 ounces mozzarella cheese

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

9 feet pork casings, in 3-foot lengths, rinsed

Olive oil

Grind pork using medium plate. Chill. Peel tomatoes with sharp knife (do not parboil). Remove seeds and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Add to ground pork. Cut mozzarella into 1/4-inch dice and add to mixture.

Mix in garlic, basil, parsley, pepper and salt. Mix well. Stuff into wet casings and tie or twist at 4 1/2-inch intervals. Refrigerate overnight, covered, to allow flavors to blend. (May be stored in refrigerator, wrapped in wax or butcher paper, up to 4 days.)

Grill or saute in small amount of olive oil over medium heat 18 to 20 minutes, turning once to brown all around. Makes about 20 sausages, about 4 ounces each. VICTORIA WISE’S CREPINETTES

1 pound spinach

2 tablespoons butter

2 1/2 pounds pork butt, cut up

1 1/4 pounds boned chicken breasts, including skin

1/4 pound pork fatback

1 teaspoon Pate Spice or commercial quatre epices

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 to 2/3 pound caul fat

16 basil or tarragon leaves or 16 small dried bay leaves

Shred spinach leaves crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and chop stems. Immerse in cold water. Let sit a few seconds while dirt sinks to bottom. Lift out and repeat with fresh water. Lift into colander after second wash and drain 1 minute.

Melt butter in non-reactive pot. Add spinach and stir over medium heat until completely wilted. Remove from heat and cool completely. (Spinach should not be warm when added to meats or sausage will spoil more quickly.) When cool, drain liquid but do not press dry.

Grind pork, chicken and fat separately using medium plate. Mix with cooled spinach, Pate Spice, nutmeg, pepper, cayenne and salt. Chill well (up to 3 days) before wrapping in caul fat.

To wrap, place caul fat on counter and divide into 4-inch squares. Place basil leaf in center of each square. Top with 1/2 cup (4 ounces) sausage and wrap neatly. (For appetizers, shape 1 tablespoon sausage into balls and wrap in smaller pieces of caul fat.)

Place in cold, ungreased heavy skillet over medium-low heat and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes. Turn and cook 10 to 15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Or grill patties over charcoal (have spray bottle handy for flare-ups). Serve with red peppers and garlic sauteed in olive oil, if desired. Makes 16 to 18 crepinettes.

Note: If meat grinder is not available, buy ground pork and use knife to dice pork fat and chicken. This results in more interesting texture. Caul fat (formerly called veil or lace fat) may be purchased from butcher but requires advanced ordering. Pate Spice

1 ounce black pepper

1 ounce white pepper

1/2 ounce ground coriander seeds

1/2 ounce powdered ginger

1/4 ounce grated nutmeg

1/4 ounce ground cloves

Mix black and white peppers, coriander seeds, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Store in tightly sealed jar. For best results, use freshly ground spices. Pate Spice is good with all kinds of chicken dishes. Makes 1 1/4 cups.