Entree: Saint Martin (French part) – Boudin Créole (Creole-style spiced pork and rice sausage commonly made in the French Caribbean)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 50 min

Additional 20 min

Total 1 hr 20 min

Ingredients

- 1 lb (454 g) ground pork shoulder
- 8 oz (225 g) pork fatback or diced fatty pork
- 1 cup (200 g) cooked long-grain white rice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small Scotch bonnet pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional for heat)
- 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) ground cloves
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 g) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (60 g) plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
- Natural hog casings, soaked and rinsed (as needed)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter or oil for browning

Instructions

1. Prepare hog casings according to package instructions: soak in warm water, rinse inside and out, and keep in a bowl of salted water until ready to use.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and scallions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic, Scotch bonnet (if using), thyme, and parsley; cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large bowl combine ground pork, diced pork fat, cooked rice, cooled aromatics, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, allspice, cloves, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly until uniformly combined but do not overwork the meat.
4. Load a sausage stuffer or a clean funnel into a piping bag. Fit the prepared casing onto the stuffer and fill gently, taking care not to overpack. Twist sausages into 5–6 inch (12–15 cm) links. Tie ends or twist links as preferred.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously). Poach the sausages in batches for 20–25 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). Keep water just below a simmer to prevent casing rupture.
6. Remove sausages and let drain on a rack. For serving, heat butter or oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown sausages on all sides until crisp and caramelized, about 3–4 minutes per side.
7. Serve hot with crusty bread, fried plantains, mustard, or a simple pickled vegetable relish. Leftover sausages can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen.