Seafood Sausage

This is my entry in the seafood category for the January 9 progressive dinner.

I’ve made reference to this sausage in the past, but don’t think I’ve ever actually posted the recipe.

This dish resulted from a series of experiments I did several years back, to come up with a good tasting seafood sausage to use as a small plate offering. While it works that way, it also makes a great main course. As should be obvious, you can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and budget. But this is the combo that worked out best for me.

The finned fish, btw, is added as much for bulk as for flavor. Thus, I originally used tilapia. I’ve since changed that to salmon, for the extra flavor kick.

One nice thing about these sausages is the range of sauces that work with them; everything from a fresh tomato sauce to a Port reduction. So don’t hesitate to play around with the saucing.

I like serving these on a bed of whole grains, such as wild rice or faro.

Brook’s Seafood Sausage

1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ lb raw salmon, trimmed
6 oz crab meat
12 oz crayfish tails, cooked
1 tsp fennel seed, coarsely ground
1 tbls dry tarragon
2 tbls fresh parsley, minced
¾ tsp white pepper, ground
2 egg whites
2 tbls cream
Poaching stock made with equal parts clam juice, chicken stock, and white wine

Cut salmon in small pieces. Toss the salmon with the shrimp, crabmeat, tarragon, parsley, fennel seed and pepper so that spices are evenly distributed. Run through medium plate of a grinder.

Fold in the crayfish tails.

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

Lay the mixture out on a rectangle of plastic film, using about 4 tablespoons for each sausage. Roughly shape into a log about 2 inches long. Wrap film tightly around seafood. Twist one end and tie off with kitchen twine. Twist the other end, compressing mixture as much as possible and forming an even round cylinder. Tie off second end.

Poach sausages in stock for about 15 minutes. Unwrap the sausages and serve with sauce of your choice.

This recipe makes 16-18 sausages. If you don’t use them up, they freeze w

I've never stuffed the mixture into casings Dan. Be sure and let us know how it works out.

One thought: With casings you should be able to pan-fry them instead of, or in combination with, poaching.

I'm a little concerned abut using smoked salmon, as it's likely to overpower the other flavors. In one of my experiments I included oysters, but dropped them for the same reason. The sausages only tasted like oyster.

I assume the crawfish was pre-cooked when you bought it. It is really easy  to over cook.
Very interesting, I have everything in hand except the crawfish, I shall have to venture into the market and acquire. Sounds really good!

Unless I order from Louisiana I never get mudbug fat, The last frozen package I bought...was from Spain???? Didn't notice (read the package) till they were cooked.

gonefishin wrote:    LaCrawfish should be shipping soon enough.  We do trap crawfish here...but we really haven't found a honey hole yet (perhaps we're leaving the traps too long unchecked.)  Now frogs on the other hand...there are some pretty good spots...and then a real nice spot!

Frogs, this late???

gonefishin wrote:    Just saying we have some good spots for frogs (summer).  We can get crawfish in our creeks/rivers......but haven't found a really good spot yet.

Rats, I thought you had  that "secret spot" for winter frogs!
We have crawfish here (Florida) but I've never heard of anyone traping them. Might have to look in to that.