Andouille Sausages

[Bond Girl]

In a recently received gift basket, I got a large package of Andouille sausages from D'Artagnan. Since I limit my rare occasion of meat consumption to fish and shellfish, I have no idea what to do with them except as flavoring agents in Gumbo and Paella. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't mind cooking them, I just don't want to eat them.

[Jason Perlow]

Put it in Jambalaya, cut it up and use it as you would chorizo and sautee it with onions and eat it with bread.

[Dave the Cook]

Funny you should mention shellfish, as I find that andouille has a great affintity for shrimp, crab and oysters. One of my favorite recipes calls for thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch) andouille, shrimp (say, 26-30s) and roasted red peppers in a tomato cream sauce. It's served over linguine, garnished with scallions.

As Jason points out, it's an interesting sandwich replacement for any smoked sausage, though the spice might be too intense for some folks when served in something like a po' boy. I've also seen it listed as a substitute for those spicy black Chinese sausages.

It's a common component in red beans and rice -- both as a seasoning during the simmer and as a garnish when serving. It's great in a cornbread stuffing, too, diced, sliced or ground.

I also like to chop it fine or grind it in a food processor, then saute it and use the rendered fat as a base for cream gravy, ladled over biscuits. Most people I know don't have enough cream gravy in their lives.

[tryska]

put it in gumbo!

[Jason Perlow]

chop it up, fry it and use it as a omlette or quiche stuffing.

Cornbread, now you are talking.

[Bond Girl]

Jason, thanks for the Jambalaya tip. As far as I know it, it's andouille sausages sliced, red beans and rice, is there anything else that should go in there? some chopped up tomatoes maybe?

I may also try doing Dave's recipe of tomato cream sauce over linguine when I have people over. Dave, do you put cajun spices into the sauce, or do you stick to the usual Italian herbs and spices like oregano and bay leaves?

BTW, the Cornbread idea is awesome!

[Dave the Cook]

Jambalaya is typically chicken, shrimp, andouille and tomatoes in rice, along with the standard onions, celery and peppers. But there are as many variations are there are cooks, and almost all of them are great.

I'll post the recipe for the linguine when I get home and post a link here, but the short answer to the seasoning question is: both.

[Bond Girl]

Jambalaya is typically chicken, shrimp, andouille and tomatoes in rice, along with the standard onions, celery and peppers. But there are as many variations are there are cooks, and almost all of them are great.

I'll post the recipe for the linguine when I get home and post a link here, but the short answer to the seasoning question is: both.

Cool! Can't wait.

[FistFullaRoux]

Beans. Make a big pot of black or navy bean soup, or the bean of your choice. Sautee your onions for the soup, then a minute or two before you start adding other ingredients, add the diced andouille, stir for a minute, then proceed with the rest of the recipe, watching out for the salt. Or find a good red beans and rice recipe (maybe I need to post one).

I also julliene thin strips, grilled or quick pan fried, on a baguette with peppers and onions, maybe a little swiss or provolone. It's kind of like a Cajun cheese steak. Sort of. Be careful, sometimes the casing on those can be a little tough. You may want to peel it off first, then add the peels and ends to a pot of chicken or vegetable stock.

But if you aren't a big meat eater, use it as seasoning for almost any starchy vegetable or greens.

They can be carefully rendered out and used as a serious garnish for salads or anywhere that you would use cooked bacon.

And as I am on a bit of a risotto kick right now, a small amount of andouille in a pot of rice would go a long way. Add mushrooms and you are set.

I love andouille. Almost as I love tasso. And I love tasso almost as much as I love my wife....

[Huevos del Toro]

I also like to chop it fine or grind it in a food processor, then saute it and use the rendered fat as a base for cream gravy, ladled over biscuits. Most people I know don't have enough cream gravy in their lives.

Ah yes, Sawmill gravy. Yum!

[tryska]

mmmm...gravy.

[fifi]

Now THAT is a brilliant use for andouille sausage. I must go get some andouille and get on this. Poured over cream biscuits would be good.

[Chad]

Oooh, I love Andouille. Lately I've been baking it in cornbread and using the cornbread to stuff pork chops. Last time I kept the rendered fat from the Andouille, added a tablespoon of butter or two, and pan seared the stuffed pork chops in it before finishing in the oven. Nice.

Dirty rice with andouille is on the menu for tonight.

Oh, how 'bout black bean soup with andouille? Anybody tried that?

Chad

edit: Doh, missed FistFullaRoux's post. The man is obviously a culinary genius.

[Bond Girl]

How different is andouille from tasso? Fistfullaroux, would you recommend using tasso in gumbo over andouille? I am determined to perfect my Gumbo recipe!

[Dave the Cook]

Tasso is a highly seasoned, smoked ham. While not quite interchangeable with andouille, you often find otherwise identical recipes that differ on this single point. Personally, I think that you can't go wrong either way, but I find that I use andouille more often, as decent tasso is much harder to find.

Which brings us back to jambalaya for just a moment. One school of thought teaches that the "jamba-" part of the the word is derived from the French "jambon," which of course means: ham.

[Pezchef]

I put it in my "Dirty rice". Zataran's!! It's great!

[pariah_kerry]

Oh, how 'bout black bean soup with andouille? Anybody tried that?

Chad

Oh yes, that is the food of the gods. One of the chefs I used to work with

kept that in his rotation. It was fantastic.

[Mayhaw Man]

Tasso, as it is sold and used here in Louisiana, is a highly seasoned ham product. It is really not very interchangable for andouille, as andouille (the real stuff anyway) is pretty much only big chunks of seasoned pork (not nearly as dry as tasso) stuffed into a casing. That is why several people have suggested stripping it of it's casing and using it in other stuff.

I like it in just about everything and use it as I would use any other sausage. The little Mayhaws like to slice it long ways, strip off the casing, brown it, and eat it on a baguette or mini po boy roll (as they are known here in the Land o' Po Boys).

Andouille is also a great thing to grill and serve as an appetizer with an assortment of zippy mustards and fine native product. If you can't find it locally where you live (chances are you can't) you can always mail order. Perhaps one of the Perlow's can tell you about it as I believe they picked up a supply on their recent visit. Basically the stuff is very thin cane syrup with nice jolt of red pepper (flaked and probably liquified as well) in it and it is pretty much great on everything (hell, it's pretty good to drink if you are as in love with heat and as stupid as I am).

I hope that you enjoy the sausage.

[Dave the Cook]

. . . fine native product. If you can't find it locally where you live (chances are you can't) you can always mail order.

Mmmm. Tiger Sauce. If we weren't already buddies over on the Emeril thread, we would be now.

I think this has pretty decent distribution -- it's been in most Atlanta supermarkets for a good ten years.

[ronnie_suburban]

I am just about to start a huge batch of Jambalaya (based on a recipe from the Times Picayune Cookbook) using about 6 pounds of andouille as well as some tasso. I've been making this jambalaya for about 20 years and I cannot imagine making it with anything but andouille. I have used regular ham (baked, smoked) in the past when I couldn't get my hands on any tasso, but if I couldn't get the andouille, I'd just make something else.

=R=

[FistFullaRoux]

How different is andouille from tasso?  Fistfullaroux, would you recommend using tasso in gumbo over andouille?  I am determined to perfect my Gumbo recipe!

What Davethecook and Mayhaw Man said.

Gumbos usually use andouille, but they are for all intents and purposes interchangable when used as a seasoning in beans, greens, or a similar use. Andouille is cheaper by weight than tasso is, though...

And as a hint, I've found that you can mix an equal portion of good smoked sausage (which is far easier to find in most of the country) with andouille in nearly any dish. I personally find gumbo made with straight andouille to be a bit intense, but when cut with smoked pork or turkey sausage, the flavors balance nicely.

Think of andouille as smoked sausage and tasso as ham hocks. That should guide you well in your travels.

[FistFullaRoux]

I am just about to start a huge batch of Jambalaya (based on a recipe from the Times Picayune Cookbook) using about 6 pounds of andouille as well as some tasso

You feeding Florida with that? That batch must feed about 40.

The whole point of jambalaya is to make the rice taste like the meat. It's how the old Cajun catholic women used to feed 12 people on one rabbit.

6 pounds of meat in a jambalaya... I can almost hear my grandmother going off about it now.

Edited to say - Never mind. I just read your food blog. You sure you have enough?

Edited December 10, 2003 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[Bond Girl]

I think I am going to try my hand at a Jamalaya. Do any one of you have a basic recipe? How much sausage to rice ratio? And do you have to chop them or you can juts slice them? And, what else is in there besides red beans, rice, tomatos, celery, onions and garlic? Do you put cayenne or roast chili pepper? And, are there any cajun seasoning required?

[fifi]

I can't find a recipe that isn't copyrighted. I generally use one of Emeril's or Marcelle Bienvenu's recipes as a starter. Tomatoes can be controversial. I have never seen it with beans but then, there are as many jambalaya recipes as there are cooks in Louisiana. Type of meat, ratio of meat to rice, seasoning tweakings, the tomato issue result in all sorts of variations. I don't think I have ever made it the same way twice. I think of it as a "technique" rather than a recipe.

Rough proportions for a pound or two of whatever kind of meat or seafood:

1 cup chopped onion/ 1/2 cup chopped green pepper/ 1/2 cup chopped celery. Some recipes are heavier on the onion.

Salt, cayenne, bay leaves, thyme is the typical seasoning profile.

1 cup long grain white rice/one cup liquid, water or chicken broth are typical.

One can chopped tomatoes (or not).

You saute the veggies, usually seasoned with salt and cayenne, in oil or butter until at least wilted. I have seen recipes that saute the veggies until they begin to caramelize.

Add the meat and saute for a few minutes. Seafood is sometimes added later in the cooking so it doesn't overcook.

Add the rice, liquid, tomatoes (if you are using them), bay leaves and thyme, possibly some more salt and cayenne, maybe some hot sauce.

Cover and cook over medium to medium low heat (depending on your stove) for 25 to 30 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is done.

It is usually served with fresh chopped green onion as a topping.

Let us know how it comes out.

[FistFullaRoux]

And as I am on a bit of a risotto kick right now, a small amount of andouille in a pot of rice would go a long way. Add mushrooms and you are set.

I'm trying out my own suggestion right now. A 3 inch chunk of andouille, diced. A chicken breast I had in the freezer, diced. And a handful of plain ol button mushrooms in a pretty standard risotto. Actually more like a jambalaya now, but I digress. It does make the rice a pretty color...

It's OK, but I don't know if I would try it again. It tastes good, but it doesn't POP. It may be my own prejudice though. Whenever I taste andouille, I'm expecting beans.

This was a good experiment. The recipe is far from perfected, and maybe some tweaking could make it sing, but there are enough recipes for andouille. It's not like you have to figure out something new and exciting to do with it. It isn't garden variety stuff. Good luck with your experiments. It's good stuff.