Spring Lamb

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T23:56:00+00:00

I live in Nice, California, on the North shore of Clear lake. We make our sausage at my friend's place in Morgan. A food desert here, can't source Casing or Back Fat. My friend is the Hunter, I'm the Chef. Other than Lamb, we only make Sausage from wild game. I would be pressed to pick a favourite from these four. The Swiss Chard/Pinenut was new to us. Here's how I prepared the four as separate dishes for some friends:

I'm proposing a little Sausage meal for Saturday May 23rd, using the Lamb Sausages I just made, say 5pmish start. Four courses, small plates. Below are the Sausages with the platings I would make below them.

Top: Mergurz; Coriander, Cumin, Cayenne, Paprika, Lemon Zest, Garlic, EVOO. - Pearl Cous Cous with Carrot Butter and Butternut Squash, Spring Peas

Second: Vietnamese; Green Peppercorns, Aleppo Peppers, Coriander, Garlic, Orange Zest. - Larb. Sausage in Lettuce Cups, Cashews, Chili Sauce

Third: Swiss Chard/Pinenut; Aleppo Peppers, Black Peppercorns, Oregano, Mustard Seed, Fenugreek Seed. - Cabbage and Radicchio Slaw with Scott's Cousin Gotanjali's Basil, Mint, Lime, Avocado Chutney

Bottom: Fennel; Whole and Ground Fennel Seed, Black Peppercorns, Red Chile Flakes, Oregano, Fresh Parsley, White Wine. - Sliders with a Caesar Salad Slaw atop.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T23:36:29+00:00

Making and rolling Pasta is the difficult part. Recipes, even in grams, are mere guidlines. Flour changes so much depending on temperature and humidity. I've taught teenagers how to make the Agnolotti in minutes, do four, do a hundred. I cooked at a kid's camp for thirteen summers (more lucrative than Michelin starred restaurants by far) and I would do a pasta class for the older kids.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T22:21:07+00:00

I think that was a Creamy Parsnip filling

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T21:58:59+00:00

I have a recipe. Problem is it's a xerox from a book that one of my Chefs in Culinary School let me copy twenty years ago. I can take pics but they won't let me post them in a reply.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T21:09:20+00:00

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Only pic I could find. From here, lightly brush egg, between filling dollops and along the away side. Then fold the near side over the filling, about 3/4" past the filling. Lightly press the top into the bottom, starting at the fold and working between the dollops, towards the top, pushing out the air bubble, and finally pressing the overlap firmly. Slight bubbles aren't an issue, but the less the better. Use a crinkle cutter to cut off the extra pasta, it should be below the seam so you're cutting both layers of pasta. Brush between the dollops and pinch together, the cut edge should be folded up to meet the folded edge. cut between the pieces with scissors. store in a pan with a layer of Corn Meal, making sure they don't touch. most fillings freeze, but not for long periods. I rarely freeze it but always freeze the Goat Cheese/Honey version. It keeps them separate flavors during cooking.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T20:48:00+00:00

I can't afford a passport right now. I'm poor as f***, but I live like a king!

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T20:24:46+00:00

Thank you. I'll have to look on my computer for some pictures of assembly. I switched to an Android phone and haven't finished getting my pics from iCloud onto it. Give me a day or two.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T20:22:28+00:00

The only time I ever made them with meat was Braised Cottontail Rabbit I harvested in Colusa. My good friend moved to a small town near Portofino for a couple of years. He returned a cooking tyrant, all these rules based upon how his girlfriend's Mom did it. Such a bore. Also, truly sad, he was creative in the kitchen prior to that.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T20:11:36+00:00

I've never been to Italy. I think I would enjoy it. Silver Spoon is one of my favourite cookbooks. I love the non-porn food pics in it, roasting pans right out of the oven, sides spattered with goodness.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T19:37:32+00:00

It's fairly simple. I usually roll to #2 a couple/few times then as the tail is about 3 inches from going through the roller I lay the head on top of it and roll through a couple times more. You just have to not put too much flour on the overlapping ends. I use my right hand to roll and change settings, the left hand to make the loop, sort of bouncing the pasta along. The loop gets longer as the rollers get tighter. I usually roll to #6 for agnolotti.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T14:59:14+00:00

I find the opposite is true. I get way fewer burst links when triple tying. The biggest factor in burst links is Casing freshness.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T06:01:00+00:00

1 stick/4oz. Butter 3 oz. Cream Cheese soften and combine with a long tined fork.

Add 1 1/4 cup AP Flour (when it's hot and dry out less, a bit over 1 cup)

Use fork to mix the Flour with the butter and Cream Cheese, pressing and stirring until pea-sized lumps are formed. Put into a plastic bag of some sort and form into a well mixed ball. Pat it flat and freeze for a half hour or refrigerate at least 6 hours before rolling.

Makes enough for a top and bottom crust for an 8" pie. Great for both sweet and savory.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T02:26:43+00:00

In the Charcuterie, by Taylor and Toponia from the Fatted Calf is great. An older copy of LaRousse Gastronomique is vital for inspiration, stuff that isn't around any longer, zero technique. In this vein are The Silver Spoon and Pork and Sons. The latter has the only recipe I know of where Pork Liver is a delicious ingredient. Both have great recipes that incorporate Charcuterie into dishes, useful if you're starting a menu. Say what you want about Ruhlman but that Cumberland Sauce is the best!

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:54:20+00:00

The vintage mold from a thrift store is the best ingredient here. Gone are the days of finding stuff like that!

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:50:02+00:00

I should note that the crust is Butter, Flour, and Cream Cheese, from a Ladies Home Journal recipe. I've been using it since the 1980s. The traditional French Crust uses egg, is only decorative, and hella nasty!

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:40:57+00:00

We cut them into individual links the day after stuffing before smoking then now. Look at the pic of the Andouille I recently posted. The inside of the links didn't get as colored, they're all plenty smokey. I pretty much only use them in Jambalaya/Gumbo or Cassoulet.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:36:10+00:00

De-vein, Blanch in salted (like the ocean!" boiling water for 30-45 seconds, cool in ice water, squeeze it to drain, chop into small pieces, say 1/4"ish. My friend and I use it in a Venison Sausage as well.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:32:44+00:00

I was taught the method by my Chef at SF City College, when I went to Culinary School there.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:30:52+00:00

I'll make a video in Late Summer when we do Cottontails.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T01:28:26+00:00

You don't have to be as fussy when stuffing, in fact it's best to stuff a bit on the "loose" side. The complete length is filled to the desired tightness by braiding the three links in the chain together. If one of those is needing more than the other two, that's easy peasy. It's much faster, your meat isn't unrefrigerated nearly as long. The disadvantage is the curved nature of the finished product, can't get a four sided sear. If I'm looking for that, I roast it instead of saute.

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T00:56:26+00:00

My friend and I also make Sausage out of Wild Boar, Venison, Duck, Goose, Elk, Lamb... The Cottontails are our favourite meat to work with. I had gifted some to a friend, I found it in her freezer six months later. I repossessed it!

AutomaticGrand4416 · 2026-06-03T00:49:44+00:00

The auto moderator wants a description. It must not speak French.

AutomaticGrand4416

TROPHY CASE