NITRATE-FREE LOW-FAT SAUSAGE, low-fat Indulgence gluten free

Almost Guilt-free sausage...

includes Christmas Pigs in Bacon Blankets (below)

Nitrate-free, low-fat homemade sausage 
'Wonderful herby smell; absolutely delicious' 'Very clean; moist but not greasy'
  'slightly sweet but the herbs kick in' Tasters

Worries about nitrates and high fat content in sausages has made many a shopper hesitate at the butcher's counter.  High-meat sausages including poultry have done well, though, as have wild meats like venison and wild boar.

The festive season, however, is a special occasion and Christmas din-dins without sausages in blankets, whether pastry or bacon, meat or plant based, is not Christmas.  

One can fantasise about making one's own sausages but the thought of all that expensive equipment puts most people off.

Here, though, courtesy of the twitter feed Cooking Light, are easy, healthy  home-made sausages.  They contain no nitrates and are lower in fat. They do contain maple syrup but, as one taster said - 'you've got to have a little bit of stuff that's bad for you!'  

The sausage is not exactly frugal but high-meat sausages free from nitrates tend to be top of the line.  And the recipe is not skimpy - it produces 16 not ungenerous 50gm/2oz patties, or double the amount of mini sausages.

The recipe is pretty simple but care is needed to evenly blend the two meats and  seasonings without producing dense hockey pucks of meat instead of light, moist mini-bangers. 

Designed as a breakfast sausage, they'll do for dinner or even in freeze-ahead sandwiches for an office lunch.  And they make great Christmas sausages in bacon blankets scattered around the turkey.  

 
Cost: max £6.50, depending on pork purchased 
Makes: 16 x 3.5inch patties or mini sausages

Ingreds:
    450gm/16oz turkey or chicken mince
    450gm/16oz minced fillet of pork or wild boar    

Flavouring:
     scant 1/4 cup maple syrup (opt)
    1 tbsp fresh or 3/4 tsp dried thyme
    1 tbsp fresh or 1 1/4 tsp dried sage
      Note: 67 did not have sage and substituted 1/3 tsp dried mace & 
                1/8 tsp dried rosemary 
    1.5 tsp salt
    3/4 tsp pepper
    2 grated garlic cloves

    oil
   
Method:

1. Lightly combine the meats in a large bowl; two forks will help - it'll take a few mins until the separate meats are evenly combined.  Spread out over a  baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
2. Mix all flavouring ingred in a small bowl till completely blended (otherwise you'll end up with unpleasant pockets of garlic or herbs); pour evenly over the meat, lightly blending in with two forks.  You may have to work a bit to get the flavourings evenly distributed.
3. The mix can be refrigerated at this stage
4. When ready to cook, break off a bit of the mince;  fry to check seasoning.  Adjust as necessary.
5. Shape into 16 patties - 8cm/3inches/56gm/2oz - use a scone cutter as guide.  Again, keep a light hand; don't squash the meat down, lightly pat it into shape.
   
   OR form into mini-bangers: a generous 1inch/2cm in diameter up to 4 inches/10cm long OR mini-meatballs made with 1 generous tablespoon sausage meat (See Christmas pigs in bacon blankets, below)
   
   
6. Cooking:  

Method 1: 

• Preheat oven to 180c/350f
• Arrange patties/sausages on a wire rack in a baking tray; generously spray with oil 
• Bake 15 mins

Method 2:

• Heat a large skillet over med heat
• Generously spray with veg oil
• Cook 4 at a time, 2.5mins each side

Home-made sausage patties: left, oven baked; right, fried 

Christmas pigs in blankets:

• roll sausage meat into cylinders 1inch/2cm in diameter about 4 inches/5cm long or sausage balls made of a generous tablespoon sausage meat
• wrap securely with half a rasher of nitrate-free streaky bacon (M&S) stretched with the back of a knife (for crispness); secure with cocktail pick with the join on the bottom
• bake in oven preheated to 180c/350f 15 mins
• cut in desired lengths

Comments:
'Nice & meaty yet clean tasting; they are not greasy at all.  The baked ones were more moist than the fried.  Nice mix of herbs.' Political agent
'Heavenly smell; absolutely delicious. So unlike the usual fatty versions.' Campaign Manager
'Slightly sweet but the flavouring quickly kicks in.' Political intern from Boston University

Tips:

• nitrate free sausages are available at many open-air markets but are expensive
• the frugal can replace pork fillet with pork shoulder but fat & cholesterol content will rise
• 67 cooked half these in the oven to avoid standing over a hot stove.  The oven-baked sausage were more moist and tastier but the pan-cooked had  a nicer colour

*Cooking Light
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This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission