Chicken & Apple Sausage

Makes 5 pounds

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
• 2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 5 pounds boneless chicken thighs (don't trim away the fat or skin), cubed and chilled until firm
• 4 ounces dried apples, diced
• 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 2 tablespoons boiling water, cooled
• About 5 feet (38 to 42mm-diameter) hog casings (optional), prepared for stuffing, (soak in lemon juice and water over night in fridge). *see note below

1. Pour the cider into a small nonreactive saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce it to 1/4 cup, until it's almost like apple syrup, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, let cool, and set aside.

2. Combine the seasonings in a small bowl and blend well.

3. Grind the chicken through a 3/8-inch grinder plate into a large bowl. Add the apples and chicken broth and blend well. Add the seasoning mixture one-third at a time, kneading after each addition. Knead the mixture until it is sticky and holds together. For the best flavor, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

4. Form the mixture into patties, loaves, logs, or sticks or stuff into the casings, if using. The mixture will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Cook as desired.

NOTE:

This sausage is fine for making patties, and this method negates the " unpleasantness" of soaking intestines in your refrigerator over night in lemon juice and water. (The lemon juice is added to remove any "off" flavor from the casings...they 're intestines...you figure out what the "off" flavor would be from. You can wrap the freshly ground sausage in plastic wrap and then in freezer wrap, (plastic wrap prevents freezer burn), and it will keep for a month.