Fat, flavor and chili flakes…..
I don’t know for certain that I don’t like chicken sausage, but I assume I don’t because I really don’t like chicken all that much. So, faced with the task of producing a poultry based sausage, I immediately went looking for alternatives to chicken. One simple Google search later I was overjoyed to find several mentions of an Italian sausage made with duck and pancetta- whoo hoo! Fat, flavor and spiciness!
The first step in the process had to be
producing another pancetta. To step up the flavor on this one I decided to double the garlic and add 2 Tablespoons of crushed chili flakes to the cure. Then, rather than rolling the pork belly before hanging it to dry, I decided to hang it open, which I had read, is the way it is done in Tuscany. This method allowed more of the surface of the meat to dry, giving more intense overall flavor to the pancetta.
After grinding 4 lbs. of duck breast (including the skin) and two lbs. of the pancetta, and still looking for a flavor punch, I added ground juniper berries, chili flakes, coriander seeds and black peppercorns along with salt and red wine before stuffing the sausage mixture into hog casings.
It helps, by the way, to have more than two hands when you are stuffing and guiding the sausages. I was lucky to have my cousin here to help- that is her hand guiding the sausage.
After tying off the sausages into links we hung them for about an hour to dry a bit and develop even more flavor while we prepped for the main course.
Papparadelle with Duck & Pancetta Sausage Ragu
2 Tb. Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 lbs duck and pancetta sausage
1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock
4-6 Sprigs fresh oregano
1/4 cup green olives, pitted and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1.5 lb papparadlle pasta, cooked and drained
Heat the olive oil in a large ductch oven, add onion and a bit of salt and cook until translucent. Add garlic and sausages, removing sausages from casing. I just wanted to see what they looked like when I browned the casings, hence the pic above….
Cook over medium heat until the sausage is cooked through.
Add the tomatoes, wine, chicken stock and oregano and cook over low heat until liquid has reduced, about l hour. Add olives and pasta, toss to coat and serve.
The assertive seasonings in the pancetta and in the sausage made this a full flavored ragu- great with a salad and a bottle of chianti.