Seafood Sausage & Variations

As requested by Margi, here is the procedure for making my Seafood Lollipops. I thought I’d go through the whole development process, and provide some variations on the theme.

As noted, I started out to make a seafood sausage. While any combination of finned- and shell-fish will work, each of the ingredients is designed to contribute something. For instance, the crayfish tails were included to provide some tooth. Later on, we eliminate them, because they make the mixture too crumbly when battered and fried.

So, here’s the basic mixture:

Brook’s Seafood Sausages

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ pound raw salmon (I originally used tilapia, because the fish was only for bulk. But decided the flavor of the salmon made a better contribution).

6 oz crab meat

6 scallops

12 oz crayfish tails, cooked

6 oysters, drained (optional) (although I like the addition of oysters, some people felt the flavor was overpowering)

1 large shallot, minced

1 tsp fennel seed, coarsely ground

1 tbls dried tarragon

2 tbls fresh parsley, minced

¾ tsp white pepper, ground

2 egg whites

2 tbls cream

Fish stock deep enough to poach sausages

Cut the salmon in small pieces. Chop shallot coarsely. Toss with the shrimp, crabmeat, scallops, cut in pieces, oysters, if using, tarragon, parsley, fennel seed, and pepper so that spices are evenly distributed. Run through medium plate in a grinder, or pulse in a food processor.

Mix in the crayfish tails evenly.

Lightly beat egg whites with cream. Incorporate into seafood mixture.

Cut plastic film into squares, about 6” per side. On the edge nearest you, lay down a few large spoonsful of the seafood mixture. Start to roll the film tightly, forming the mixture into a log about 3 inches long and ½ inch thick. Twist the ends tightly and tie with kitchen twine.

Bring a pot of seafood stock to the boil, lower heat, and maintain the stock at a simmer. Poach the sausages until firm and cooked through, about ten minutes.

Unwrap the sausages and serve with a sweet/sour tomato sauce.

Now the fun starts. To make Seafood Burgers you’ll need

Seafood sausage mixture

1/2cup pistachios, ground

Oil for frying

1 slice pancetta per patty

Caper tartar sauce for topping

Baby arugula for topping

Gouger buns of appropriate size

Oil for frying

Form the sausage mixture into patties about 3 inches wide by 1 inch thick for full-sized burger, or 1/3 that for sliders. Coat all surfaces well with ground pistachios. Cover with plastic film and set aside in the fridge to chill and firm up.

Prepare gougere buns of appropriate size:

Gouger Buns

In a saucepan bring to boil 1 cup water, 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut in small pieces, 1 teaspoon salt, and a dash of pepper. Add 1 cup flour all at once and cook the paste over low heat, stirring it well, until it forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.

Remove from heat and add 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Note: this works better by hand, with a wooden spoon, then with a beater. Add ¼ pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated, and a dash of dry mustard. Let the mixture cool.

Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with a large tube. Pipe the mixture into disks the diameter you want, forming two layers. Brush with milk.

Bake in a 425F oven for ten minutes. Lower heat to 375F and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden. Let them cool on a wire rack.

To prepare the burgers:

Fry pancetta until browned and crisp.

Fry patties in a little oil, about 4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Alternatively, brush patties with oil and grill over hot coals, turning once.

Split buns. Place a slice of pancetta on bottom half of bun. Top with a seafood patty. Dress with tartar sauce and top with baby arugula.

To make Seafood Lollipops there are some changes.

Prepare the sausage mixture, omitting the crayfish tails.

Form the mixture into balls, using a pair of spoons or a dasher of appropriate size. About 2 tablespoons of the mixture is good, but you can go up or down as desired.

Bring enough seafood stock to cover the balls to boil. Lower heat and maintain the stock at a simmer. Add the sausage balls to the stock and poach just long enough for the surface to firm up, about three minutes total. Drain the balls and reserve.

Make your favorite beer-batter recipe. Or use mine:

Beer Batter

1 cup cornmeal

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Salt & pepper to taste

Beer

Combine the cornmeal, flour, salt and pepper. Make a well in the center and add the egg and a few spoons of the beer. Start mixing, adding enough beer to create a nice batter, about the thickness of pancake batter.

Insert a popsicle stick into each seafood ball. Dip into the batter, coating well, being sure that some of the batter seals the point where the stick enters the ball.

Deep fry at 350F until crisp and golden brown, tuning the lollipops to assure all sides cook evenly.  Drain well.

Arrange on serving plates. Drizzle with

Peach Gastrique

½ cup peach cider, peach juice, or peach nectar

2-3 tbls red wine vinegar

Large pinch sugar

In a small saucepan, simmer peach cider until reduced by half. Add the vinegar and sugar, and continue cooking until it forms a thin syrup.

Transfer to a squeeze bottle and use as a drizzle.