Italian sausage with Chilli

Salsiccia Piccante

Master the art of homemade Italian sausage-making with this authentic recipe that combines the perfect ratio of pork shoulder and belly for ideal texture and flavour. This traditional blend brings together 2 kilograms of carefully selected pork cuts with a classic Italian spice profile where fennel seeds take center stage, supported by the fiery warmth of fresh bird’s eye chillies and chilli powder. A touch of ice-cold white wine adds moisture and depth, while coarse black pepper brings its distinctive bite, resulting in a versatile sausage that captures the essence of Italian salumeria, perfect for grilling, pasta sauces, or traditional antipasti platters.

 

Italian sausage with Chilli
 
Author: 
Nutrition Information
  • Serving size: 100 grams
  • Calories: 229 kcal
  • Fat: 17g
  • Saturated fat: 6
  • Carbohydrates: <0 .5g
  • Sugar: <0 .5g
  • Sodium: 0.63g
  • Fiber: <0 .5g
  • Protein: 18g
Recipe type: Sausages
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Some Sundays when we lived in Brussels, Belgium we would take a leisurely stroll to the open-air market held at Place Flaget (an open community square in Ixelles). Very typical of a French open market, this weekly get-together had a great ambiance and sense of joy de vivre. Between stopping of at a champagne tent for a flute of the best and a few oysters, you could buy wonderful produce from local artisan producers ,including – amongst others - freshly baked bread, cheese and sausages. On discovering this fantastic sausage - in the refrigerator van of an authentic Italian produce merchant - I became an immediate fan. No amount of bribing or charm would persuade him into sharing his recipe (a closely guarded secret) so I had no choice, but to try and replicate one of my own. I think this one is close, but out of respect for his great sausage will never claim it to be the same. Buon appetito
Ingredients
Meat
  • Pork shoulder - 1 Kg (2¼ lbs)
  • Belly of pork - 1 Kg (2¼ lb)
  • Sausage casings - 3 meters (± 10 feet) 32/34mm (approx. 1 11 /32 inches wide) (see note)
Spices
  • Fennel seed – 4 teaspoons
  • Fine sea salt – 1 tablespoon
  • Chillies - 4 Birds-eye – finely chopped
  • Chilli powder - 4 teaspoons
  • Black pepper - 2 teaspoons
Other
  • Ice cold white wine – ¼ of a cup
Instructions
Making Sausage
  1. Cut the meat into 25 mm x 25 mm (1-inch x 1-inch) pieces. Keep cool in a big mixing basin (plastic, porcelain or enamel-coated).
  2. Combine all the spices with salt. Mix well
  3. Prior to beginning mincing of meat, rinse the sausage casing in fresh clean water and then soak in lukewarm water for 30 minutes.
  4. Mince the meat into a coarse mince using a 4.5 mm (0.177 inch) mincing plate.
  5. Using your hands, mix spices and wine into minced meat for 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Place mince into a sausage stuffer and fill casings. Ensure that the mixture is not filled too tightly as the sausage will burst when it is cooked.
  7. Place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours for flavours to develop.
Notes
Sausage casings can be bought on-line or from your butcher.

This recipe yields approximately 20 sausages

Keywords : Italian sausages with chillies

Image: Steven Depolo / CC BY 2.0 / via Flikr

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