From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Bob and I were at the King winery this past weekend. We had gone to watch a marathon and sample a flight or two of some highly recommended wines. We weren't the only visitors. Sheep, an uncommon occurrence on the estate, were grazing in the orchards and the vineyards. The flocks had been rented to assist in "vegetation control". Goats, as in herds for hire, are not uncommon here. The state uses them to clear vegetation on slopes that are too steep for highway crews to safely work on. This was, however, the first time I'd seen sheep used to clear the land of others. It seems they are more discriminating in what they eat than goats, and there is less chance they will eat vines or damage trees. While watching the race, I struck up a conversation with the man standing next to me. I asked him what he did. He said he was a shepherd. Choking back a laugh, I was about to introduce myself as Mother Goose, but my better angels and long dead mother stopped me. Turns out, he was one of three people responsible for the flocks. He was the "lead shepherd". His words, not mine. A lot of lamb is raised in the areas surrounding the estate, so the same farms that supplied sheep for vineyard maintenance also provided a fresh supply of lamb for my freezer. I have several recipes that I've wanted to try and I though this would be a great time to test those for lamb sausage. I'll be featuring them over the course of the next two weeks. This recipe is based on one developed by Michael Symon. His recipe makes a delicious Middle Eastern-style sausage but it is very spicy and I'm not sure it would appeal to all of you. So, I've cut way back on the amount and source of the chilies used to season the lamb. I've also taken a few shortcuts that make the sausage easier to prepare. I hope you'll give the recipe a try. If you like lamb, I know you'll like this sausage. Here's the recipe.
Lamb Sausage... from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Michael Symon, Live to Eat
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced shallot
2 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika (Pimenton)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Directions:
1) Warm oil in a medium frying pan. When oil shimmers, saute shallots over medium heat until translucent , about 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Remove from heat. Cool completely.
2) Combine onions, garlic, lamb, paprika, pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Cover and chill from 2 to 24 hours. Form into patties or logs. Sausage may be refrigerated for up to a week. It may also be frozen. Fry over medium heat until patties reach an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. Yield: 12 patties.
As an afterthought, I thought some of you might enjoy reading about the sheep at the King Estate Winery. Here's a bit more information for you.
The Sheep Are Back
Sheep in the Vineyard
One Year Ago Today: Southwestern-Style Potatoes Roasted with Peppers and Herbs
Two Years Ago Today: Raspberry Yogurt Parfait
You might also enjoy these recipes:
Homemade Country Sausage - Look Whose Cookin'
Homemade Hot Italian Sausage - Grilling 24 x 7
Homemade Italian Sausage - Cooking with Michele
Homemade Breakfast Sausage - One Perfect Bite
How to Make Homemade Sausage - Simply Recipes
Making Andouille Sausage - New Orleans Cuisine
How to Make Sausage - Michael Ruhlman
How to Make Italian Sausage - Farmgirl Fare
How to Make Polish Kielbasa - About Eastern European Food
Smoked Beef Sausages - Menu in Progress
This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer
67 comments :
For some reason, we can't get lamb around here. About thirty five years ago, it was much easier to find. So I will pass on this delicious lookind recipe. But your picture of the sheep in the pasture is beautiful, and I really enjoyed your story. It gave me a good chuckle as well!
Ooh, lamb sausage. Sounds (and looks!) delicious.
Your sausage looks wonderful Mary. Lamb is hard to find here so I don't imagine I'll get to try this very soon, but I really enjoyed your account of meeting the shepherd!
I love lamb and I do eat more lamb than beef! Nice and simple recipe. I like :)
I love your lamb sausage patties. All the spices are so perfectly combined to give a little "kick" to the flavor.
I thought it was an Easter postcard you posted. So cute with all the sheep grazing in the grass:D
great lamb sausages, you can never go wrong with michael symon
sweetlife
LOL I probably would of said I was Mother Goose too!!! Were you talking about Kings Estate? I love it out there. So peaceful!
Wow! it looks soo tempting..Wish I could have one os these :0
Nice story! I like all those spices you put in the meat. Very spicy meal and don't worry it does appeal to me. Thanks for the recipe and have a nice day Mary.
Cheers
Lanm is very expensive here and in the UK as far as I am concerned but if I see any special offers I will try this recipe out. It sounds delicious.Diane
Your lamb sausage looks really good. I will definitely love these! That's a lovely photo of the lamb and your remark about being the Mother Goose is so funny! Have a lovely day, Mary!
Where i live there's sheep in fields everywhere..it's very good to be in toutch with nature.
Those sausages are looking good Mary !!!
Kisses,
Rita
It looks very healthy and delicious.
Lamb sausage looks irresistible and marvellous,love those sheeps picture..
And it looks simply delicious... :)
Big kiss
Its the first time I am hearing of 'lamb/goat for rent'. Ecologically friendly approach
I wish you had said you were Mother Goose. But only if was there to see the look on his face.. LOL :D you put a smile on my face :)
Thanks for sharing this recipe... looks and sounds delicious! :) And thanks for your very sweet words on my blog, Mary!
I am saving this recipe for sure. I raise sheep, I am the "head shepherdess", actually, the only one around here who tends the sheep. I sell all my surplus sheep to others who eat them, but this year have decided to raise at least one for our freezer. The other sheep are my special girls used for their wool fleeces, thus, they give their wool and live to provide more wool next year.
My sheep are very special to me and a labor of love, certainly not money-makers. Yet , there is a practicality that must be entertained, finally. Your recipe looks delicious and well worth using on a specially raised lamb.
BTW, I read your blog faithfully and keep it in my sidebar. For many reasons I have not been cooking much this past year, but your blog is my favorite food blog.I am getting back all my inspiration for baking and cooking, and very happy to use the recipes you offer .Thank-you.
I've never met a real shepard.
Oh, Mary, I just love the photo of the sheep! And what a yummy way to eat lamb...excellent recipe :)
Now there's an idea for my occupation next time I need to put it on a passport application!! We keep a few sheep, so naturally that would make me a shepherd, right?!?!?! Or maybe a shepherdess ...
Hope your Easter was great!
I love lamb and it is always so expensive in the grocery stores, these look wonderful and a little mint jelly on the side I love with lamb too.
My husband adores lamb and I know he'd go crazy for this sausage...it sounds fantastic! I love that beautiful picture with the sheep.
Oh how I love your writing, and I also love sheep.I never knew they used sheep for that purpose,, goats but not sheep, I really enjoyed this entry,, hope you have a great day.. Thankyou for sharing
Oh...I wish I could have joined you this past weekend...sounds perfect! This lamb dish is perfect too! Love its flavors!!!
Turkey sausage I have made, and pork sausage. But lamb? Never thought of it - and I absolutely love lamb. Your recipe is simple and straightforward. Thank you.
These sound right up our alley! My girls would go crazy for these, Thanks for the recipe,
Mary x
Heh. They are so cute. And that lamb sausage just looks outstanding. My brain! It's having problems with that! :)
Thanks so much for sharing. Your day at the winery sounds fantastic
what at timely post for me Mary! i just picked up some ground lamb at the store and was wondering what I could do with it! I frequent a local restaurant that makes the most amazing lamb burgers...maybe this sausage recipe would work for that! Micheal symon is a bit of a chef saint around these parts ( yup, live in greater Cleveland ) and while I have never been to Lola...I have been to B Spot and loved it! Take care!
The lamb sausage recipe sounds scrumptious and so easy to make! Your asparagus salad from the previous post would make a nice appetizer :-) I love the picture of the grazing lambs - so peaceful.
I love lamb (and Micahel Symon!!!) ...unfortunately, Chris does not. :) This is definitely something I can make on my "fend for yourself Fridays"!
This is going on my list of favorites to make soon. We love lamb, spicy and sausage. The three together will put us over the moon!
YOu know, Mary, British lawns were always mowed by sheep. They take the grass down just so and fertilize as they go... making them environmentally sound.
I love lamb sausage and have been making a Chez Panisse version of merguez for years... positively black with chilies and so good. Your's is a nice light version... can't wait to try. How lucky you are to get such wonderful lamb!
I was so intrigued by the story that I had to go back and check out the recipe. It sounds delicious! Now I've got to go "visit" Ginny and tell her that a trip over the mountain to Whole Foods will give her some lamb choices.
Best,
Bonnie
Growing up my Mother would make lamb biriyani. My sisters and I didn't like it at all! As I have gotten older I have learned to appreciate it. My husband has made some delicious kebabs and burgers. We have a leg of lamb in the freezer right now, and I can't wait to see what he does with it. I think my family would really like this recipe Mary, thanks so much for sharing!
YUM! I love lamb and love sausage AND Mike Symon (crushes). I gotta try this recipe soon... I haven't had any lamb yet since I stopped fasting.
Another great recipe!
I've seen and wondered about this recipe - I do like the way you spiced it. Had to laugh about the goats vs the sheep and the sheep being more discriminating. Also am enchanted that you met up with a shepherd... there's something simpler about evoking a time when that was a commonplace occupation.
This sounds wonderful. Another amazing dish Mary! : )
Mary, your love this recipe, like all others simply divine!
Have a nice day
Kisses
Looks really delicious! We never really lambs here.. most are imported and the good quality ones are very expensive. Wonder if I can replace the lamb with goat/ mutton? :)
This is so elegant!
Mary, this is a wonderful recipe and that photo has me drooling! This is on my list to make and soon...
Symon definitely adores his spices...and his lamb! These look delicious! I'm so glad you avoided putting your foot in your mouth...I probably would not have been so tactful. :P
I'm of the camp that sausage should be spicy! Maybe why I like chorizo so much.
wow what a wonderful lamb sausages...wonderful and your pictures are perfection!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Lamb sausages looks awesome delicious, tempting for a veggie like me. The click of sheep looks very nice.
I didn't know sheep can be used clearing the land!? these lamp (balls) look so tasty with the seasonings you have picked! Thanks so much for your sweet comment. It means a lot to me!
Lovely lamb sausage patties!! Michael Symon's the man :)
Beautiful Pictures and it looks sooooo delicious!
I was out most of the day and just saw your comment. Thank you Mary! Hope you are having a great day!
I've not had any lamb sausages before. Pork or beef, yes. Lamb I'll need to remember. They look brilliant.
I don't think I've ever had lamb in sausage form before. This sounds like a very interesting recipe, and I definitely love the spice - so I may be inclined to add a little bit more! =)
Another fantastic recipe to bookmark! Thanks again!
What a cute story about the lambs! Love that they're used for "vegetation control." And your lamb sausage look tasty and lovely!
Sounds like you and bob had a lovely weekend. That lamb sausage looks so good!
haha! it's so true, we hear about shephards all the time, but i've yet to meet one!
this sounds so good, i rarely have lamb, but i love it.
That picture of sheep grazing in the orchards is stunning! One of the most beautiful pics I've seen.
Oh Mary, thanks for the kind words ;) I'm also lurking around too! LOL
I love the use of spices in this sausage. best of all, we actually know what goes in (and not sausages that we have no idea what meat is in it). And a cute story too. lead shepherd.. ;)
I can remember eating lamb burger at the state fair when i was a kid they were pretty good come see what I shared at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
Oh, that sheep picture makes my heart happy, Mary. :-) Just down the road from my house is an old overgrown orchard and now that spring is here there are sheep pottering about. I love it. :-)
Mary, My wife and I love lamb!! We even have a hard time finding lamb chops. In order to make lamb sausage...and the recipe really sounds great...we'd have to buy the only lamb easily found in East Tennessee, i.e., a leg of lamb and then grind it up. Packages of ground lamb just don't exist here! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
I'll be on cloud nine if I can just have a bite on one of those. Slurp!
Kristy
Haha... "if I love lamb." You don't even have to ask that :) This looks awesome, and very useful since my butcher so rarely has lamb sausage! Now I can make it on my own! Yippee!!
I'm so glad you tamed your tongue! lol That is very interesting about the use of sheep for vegetation control; I've never heard of such a thing! Your lamb sausage sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing :)
mas que bom ficou 5* gostei muito beijinhos
What a great story! I really like lamb and am looking forward to your many lamb recipes. This one looks so good!
What a wonderful recipe! I'll bookmark it because I'd really love to make it sometime soon. Your pictures are making my mouth water! :)
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