Known as the King of Cajun food, Boudin is a Louisiana cuisine specialty. Cochon & Herbsaint Executive Chef & Owner Donald Link developed this recipe to combine all of the favorite aspects from different boudins he's eaten. To Chef Link: there’s liver in it but just enough, it’s nicely spiced without burning your mouth, and it’s the perfect amount of rice.
1. Combine the pork, liver, vegetables and seasonings and marinate 1 hour or overnight.
In a large pot cover mixture of water (by one to two inches) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Remove the pot from heat and strain, reserving liquid. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then put all ingredients through a meat grinder (set on coarse grind) or chop with a knife.
pork liver, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 lb.
onion, chopped
1 sm.
pablanos, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 med.
Jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and chopped
3 med.
celery stalks, trimmed and chopped
2
garlic, coarsely chopped
6 clove
salt
4 tbsp.
black pepper
2 tbsp.
white pepper
1 tbsp.
curing salt
1/2 tsp.
cayenne
2 tsp.
chili powder
1 tsp.
water
8 1/4 c.
cooked white rice
7 c.
2. Place the ground meat in a large bowl. Using your hands, a rubber spatula or a mixer, add in the cooked rice, parsley, scallions, and reserved cooking liquid. Stir vigorously for 5-10 minutes.
chopped parsley
1 c.
chopped scallions (white or green tops)
1 c.
oil, for frying
3. Roll mixture into “boudin balls,” dredge in standard breading and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Serve warm.
standard breading, for dredging
4. * Alternate to making boudin balls, after Step 2 (stirring mixture for 5-10 minutes) feed into rinsed natural sausage casings which often come packed in salt. To do this, slide about 2 to 3 yards of casing onto the nozzle. Tie a knot on casing once it starts to come out. Guide the sausage on to a sheet pan - make sure it has a little water on it to keep the casings from drying out and cracking. Twist the sausage into 6 to 8 inch links, depending on how big you want the sausage. Then poach the links gently in a water bath for about 10 minutes. Serve.
