Boudin Blanc aux PommesWhite Pork Sausages with Apples

Desalt the casings and cook the onion without coloring

• 1 Soak 2m hog casings in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to remove salt.
• 2 Mince 30g onion.
• 3 Melt 10g unsalted butter over low heat in a small skillet, cook the onion for 5 minutes without coloring and spread on a plate to cool.

Cube the pork and back fat and chill in the freezer

• 1 Cut 400g pork shoulder and 200g pork back fat into 2cm cubes.
• 2 Spread on a tray and freeze for 20 minutes to firm the surfaces.
• 3 Meanwhile(While chilling) Beat the eggs, weigh 110 g into a container and put 250 ml milk in another; refrigerate both.

Chop meat and fat and gradually mix in eggs and milk

• 1 Process meat and fat in 2 batches to grains 2–3mm across.
• 2 Transfer to a large bowl and set its base in ice water.
• 3 Add the cooked onion, 12g salt, 2g white pepper and 1g nutmeg. Work with a rubber spatula for 1–2 minutes until slightly tacky.
• 4 Add the beaten eggs in 3 additions, mixing after each.
• 5 Add the 250ml cold milk in 4 additions, mixing evenly after each.

Stuff the casings and tie 13cm links

• 1 Flush water through the casings and gather them onto the nozzle of a sausage stuffer.
• 2 Tie the free end of the casing with kitchen twine, fill the stuffer and push the mixture into the casing until taut but still yielding to a finger.
• 3 Twist 2 times at 13 cm intervals and tie the twists with kitchen twine. After filling, tie the final end closed.
• 4 Prick any air pockets with a needle to release them.
• 5 Meanwhile(While stuffing) Heat 5L water in a large pot to 80°C.

Poach in 80°C water to a 75°C center, then cool

• 1 Gently lower the sausages into the 80°C water and use a thermometer to keep the water at 78–82°C.
• 2 Poach for about 20 minutes and remove when the center reaches 75°C.
• 3 Transfer to ice water for 10 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.

Brown the apples in butter and sugar

• 1 Peel and core 3 apples and cut each into 8 wedges.
• 2 Melt 20g unsalted butter in a skillet over medium heat, arrange the apples and sprinkle with 10g granulated sugar.
• 3 Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally to brown both sides. Cover, turn off the heat and keep warm.

Prick the sausages and brown all over in butter

• 1 Cut away the twine to separate the sausages and make 3–4 shallow needle pricks in each.
• 2 Melt 20g unsalted butter in a separate skillet over medium-low heat and arrange the sausages.
• 3 Cover and cook for 10 minutes, rolling occasionally.
• 4 Serve 2 sausages on each plate with the apples.