Boudin Blanc

Place 450g trimmed boneless pork shoulder, 225g skinless boneless chicken breast, 115g pork back fat, 110g finely diced yellow onion, and 6g minced garlic in a medium saucepan. Pour in 120ml whole milk, add 1 tsp (6g) kosher salt, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat (71°C/160°F, do not boil). Cover and cook for 25 minutes, until meats are just tender with no remaining pink color.

Remove the saucepan from heat, let the mixture cool to room temperature for 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes until firm (4°C/40°F). Assemble a meat grinder with a 3mm fine grinding plate, and pass the chilled meat, fat, onion, and garlic through the grinder twice into a large pre-chilled mixing bowl to create a fine, uniform base.

Add 2 beaten large eggs (100g total), 120ml cold heavy whipping cream, remaining 2 tsp (12g) kosher salt, 1 tsp (2g) ground white pepper, 1/4 tsp (0.5g) freshly grated nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp (0.5g) ground allspice to the ground meat mixture. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed for 2 minutes, then increase to medium speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is smooth, sticky, and fully emulsified; stop mixing immediately once combined to avoid breaking the fat emulsion.

Drain 2 meters of pre-soaked 32-35mm natural hog casings, and slide one open end fully onto the nozzle of a manual sausage stuffer, tying a tight overhand knot at the casing’s free end. Feed the emulsified sausage mixture into the stuffer, cranking slowly to fill the casing evenly to 80% capacity (to prevent bursting during cooking), twisting the filled casing every 12cm (5 inches) to form uniform individual boudin blanc links.

Fill a large stockpot with 4 liters of cold water, and heat over low heat to a steady 77°C/170°F (do not bring to a rolling boil, as high heat will burst casings and create a grainy texture). Carefully lower the coiled linked sausages into the warm water, and poach for 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the sausages reaches 68°C/155°F when measured with an instant-read thermometer.

Use tongs to transfer poached boudin blanc to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let cool for 15 minutes to room temperature, then pat links dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, then sear links for 2 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp on the outside, then serve immediately.