Equipment
Ingredients
Sausage Base
- 500 g skinless boneless chicken breast, diced and very cold
- 120 ml heavy cream, chilled
Flavorings and Mix-ins
- 75 g red bell pepper, finely diced
- 75 g yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 garlic, minced
- 15 ml olive oil
- 10 g kosher salt
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbohydrates
- 3 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 706 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 76 mg
- Potassium
- 278 mg
- Calcium
- 31 mg
- Iron
- 0.9 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 168 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 135 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 40 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 8.6 mg
- Folate
- 13 mcg
- Water
- 94 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced red and yellow bell peppers and minced garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and chill completely in the refrigerator.
Place the very cold diced chicken breast, kosher salt, smoked paprika, and black pepper into the bowl of a food processor. Process until a smooth paste forms, scraping down the sides as needed.
With the food processor running, slowly drizzle the chilled heavy cream through the feed tube until fully incorporated and the mixture looks glossy and emulsified.
Transfer the chicken emulsion to a mixing bowl. Manually fold in the completely cooled sautéed bell pepper mixture until evenly distributed.
Lay out a square of cling film. Spoon about 120g of the chicken mixture onto the lower third. Roll the film away from you to form a tight cylinder. Twist the ends in opposite directions to compress the sausage, tying them off with butcher's twine or knotting the film itself.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a gentle simmer at 80C/175F. Gently lower the wrapped sausages into the water and poach until they are firm and reach an internal temperature of 74C/165F.
Remove the sausages from the water and let them rest for 5 minutes. Carefully snip the ends and unwrap them from the cling film. Pat them completely dry with paper towels.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the unwrapped sausages, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides.
Chef's Notes
- Temperature control is the absolute key to a successful mousseline. The proteins in the chicken can only trap the fat from the heavy cream if everything remains below 15C/60F while blending.
- Sautéing the peppers first removes excess moisture. If added raw, they will release water during the poaching phase and disrupt the texture of the sausage.
- Resting the sausages after poaching allows the juices to redistribute and the proteins to set, making them much easier to unwrap without tearing.
- For an extra layer of flavor, try smoking the cooked and unwrapped sausages over applewood for 10 minutes before the final pan-sear.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store poached and un-seared sausages in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap individually in parchment and foil after poaching and fully cooling.
Reheating: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Pan-sear over medium heat until warmed through to 74C/165F.
Troubleshooting
Sausage texture is crumbly, grainy, or weeping fat
Cause: The emulsion broke because the chicken or cream was too warm during processing
Fix: Cannot be fixed once the emulsion breaks, but still safe to eat as a flavorful hash
Prevention: Ensure chicken breast and cream are extremely cold; chill food processor blade and bowl beforehand
Water seeping into the sausages during cooking
Cause: Cling film wasn't tied tightly enough at the ends
Fix: Remove from water immediately, wrap in a second layer of film, and resume poaching
Prevention: Twist ends tightly and double-knot, or use secure butcher twine to seal the film
Cultural Context
The technique of blending lean protein with cream to create a delicate farce or mousseline is rooted in classical French charcuterie, though the flavor profile here nods to hearty Italian-American sausage and peppers. By using cling film instead of natural casings, this preparation makes artisanal sausage-making accessible to the modern home kitchen.
