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Yes,
You read it right.
Duck.
Neck.
Sausage.
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My duck neck sausage components |
First thing is first, you need some duck neck or goose neck. Goose is actually better because you get a little more to work with, but a nice sized duck will work fine to make little plump sausages (in this case I'm using a mallard neck). When you pluck the duck, get all the way up to just below the head because you want as much of the tubular skin you can get. Remove the head right where it meets the neck. Slice the skin around, just above the breast and the neck skin should pull off more or less like a tube sock, and there should be a nice layer of fat right inside the skin. This is just a perfect sausage casing - think of it as such and you won't be disappointed.
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Stuffed, tied off, and uncooked. |
Now you have to consider a filling, and I don't think anything would taste bad stuffed inside a duck neck... I usually go with the duck's liver and heart because they usually accompany a dead duck, and something else to fill in the volume; in this case I was butchering a deer at the time so I threw in some venison. It's good to include something a little fattier like bacon or pork to moisten the lean meat, but it isn't necessary. If you have a grinder, grind everything up and mix together well. If you don't have a grinder, or you're too lazy to pull it out like me, use a good chopping knife and go crazy on the cutting board until it is ultra fine. Add a heavy pinch of salt to the mixture, along with other seasonings and spices like black pepper, thyme, etc.
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Vacuum packed for Sous Vide |
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Crisped up in the oven after a couple hours in the sous vide bag. |
Specifically, the ingredients I used were:
1 Duck Liver
1 Duck Heart
1 Small Garlic Clove
Ground Venison
Pinch of Thyme
Pinch of Black Pepper
Pinch of Salt
Good luck, and as I mentioned, try any variations you think would be good. The mallard neck sausage I did for the photos was about 4 inches by 2 inches. Goose necks are a little better for the size, but just do up a batch of duck neck sausages and you'll be good to go!
- Aaron Regier