Ukrainian Fish and Crayfish Sausage

by olga

Servings:

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUSAGE:

2 medium onions
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds mild fish fillet
1/2 pound crayfish meat or shrimp
2 teaspoons chopped dill
salt to taste
1 cup heavy cream
natural pork casing
milk for poaching

FOR THE SAUCE:

2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cream
1/4 cup fish stock
1 teaspoon tomato paste

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE SAUSAGE: Chop onions, saute in butter, and cool. Pick over fish for bones and cut into 1 inch cubes. Dice crayfish or shrimp. In processor, combine fish, onions, dill and salt and process 1 to 3 minutes, gradually adding 1/2 cup cream. Add crayfish or shrimp and process 2 pulses. Whip remaining cream and fold lightly into mixture. Stuff casing as for sausage, leaving no air holes. tie with string at the bottom and top. In a shallow pan, heat milk to simmer, reduce heat, and poach sausage 20 minutes. Remove, cover, and allow to set.

This sausage may be served cold as an appetizer, or with a cream sauce (see below) as a first course.

FOR THE SAUCE: Heat butter and flour until lightly colored. Add cream and fish stock, mixing well to avoid lumps, and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add tomato paste.

To serve, saute sliced sausage in butter until heated. Pour a little sauce in heated platter, arrange sausage slices, and pour sauce around them. Garnish with dill. Serve with new red potatoes or apple-noodle casserole, with remaining sauce in sauce boat.

CHEF COMMENTS

In late summer, crayfish, once abundant in Ukrainian creeks and streams, were considered a culinary delicacy. Dishes of fish or meat paste were very exceptional, "refined," gracing only the more opulent tables. One reason was that pounding the flesh into a paste was very laborious, so such dishes were not made frequently. Now the processor has made these dishes easily accessible to the ordinary household. Pike and perch were often used. Crayfish give this sausage its pink color. If crayfish are not available, shrimp are a good substitute. Sausage should be made in advance and chilled.

Tagged: sausage, ukrainian add tags

Have you made it? What'd you think?

Log in to review this recipe.