Fish Sausage

JZ · February 24, 2012, 08:16:22 AM

Has anyone tried Fish Sausage. I got this recipe from Stuffers and thought I might try it with Halibut. I have a bunch and want to find a good use for it.

The whole idea of a FISH sausage seems kinda weird to me though.

Fish Sausage
10 lbs fish
1 pt. ice water 1 lb. vegetable shortening
12 ozs. corn starch 4 tbsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar 1 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
After the fish are deboned, be sure the flesh is cooled to at least 35 degrees F. before staring.The fish is
then ground through a 3/16" grinder plate.The salt is then added and mixed thoroughly.This will allow
the sausage to bind well.After 10 minutes add the corn starch mixed with the ice water.The spices and
shortening are added last, again mixing thoroughly.The mixture is then stuffed into a fibrous casing of
your choice (2" or 3 1/2" wide).The sausage is then cooked in water 200-205 degrees F. until the internal
temperature reaches 180 degrees F.The sausage is then promptly cooled in cold water or showered
until the internal temperature of 70 degrees F. is obtained.The cooled sausage is then immersed in boiling
water for one minute in order to tighten the casing on the product. Fish sausage is a very perishable
product and should be stored at a temperature of at least 35 degrees F. It also keeps well when frozen.
Because this sausage is cooked at such high temperatures, the use of cures is not required. In addition,
this sausage may also be made in a loaf for home use and cooked in a loaf pan. If allowed to cool over night
it will slice very nicely as any other lunchmeat.This loaf may also be flavored with liquid smoke, using 1
tsp. to each 5 lbs. of meat.
Contents on pages 2, 3, and 4 61 www.stuffers.com

cobra6223 · February 24, 2012, 03:44:51 PM

Well you sure have my attention!!! Now for the start of the questions as I'm sure I will forget some and will bother you several more times. ;D. Have you tasted this yet? the pound of lard just seems like a lot in anything and would it taste like a mouth full of grease? You also say let the flesh cool, do you cook it first? Any fish will work? I have a whole river of cheap carp !! when this is done it looks like a summer sausage roll? I love smoked carp with hickory wood, if you used some cure could you smoke this first? Well I'll you work on that list for now. It sounds interresting and cheap enough to make, can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for you time and help.
Tim
also I couldn't get the recipes on that site, not sure why.

JZ · February 24, 2012, 04:45:10 PM

I have never even heard of fish sausage until I went through the recipes on the Stuffer site so I have no idea what it would taste like and thus my post here. Good point about the lb of shortening. I saw another recipe somewhere that used pork fat instead of shortening and maybe that would be better. Who knows!

I would rather smoke it too but for my first try I think I will just follow the recipe. But I sure as heck am not going to do 10lbs of this. What if it turns out to be terrible. I will try one casing, about 4 lbs and see how it turns out.

I have no problem accessing the recipes. They are on the home page and are shown in blue - try this link http://estores.wws5.com/stuffers.com/wecs.php?store=stuffers&content=sausage_recipes.html

cobra6223 · February 24, 2012, 08:10:59 PM

Thanks JZ, I really can't wait to try it.

La Quinta · February 25, 2012, 12:44:32 AM

I have made seafood sausage many times...but that is a lot of lard...did you make the traditional patty first? I would guess that the lard just melts away and you may be left with a dryish fish mix? I'm just asking...

Habanero Smoker · February 25, 2012, 02:25:18 AM

I believe that is the same recipe in Kutas' book. It looks like a lot of fat, but for 10 pound of fish the sausage is less the 10% fat (not counting the amount of fat the fish may contain). I believe they used vegetable oil and fibrous casing, so that people who avoid red meat can eat this sausage. I just don't agree with the 180°F internal temperature.

cobra6223 · February 25, 2012, 07:26:02 AM

Hey Habs,
Plan on making this tomorrow, they call for a water temp of 200-205* and then the 180* IT, give me your opinion on what you would do please.
Thanks Tim

JZ · February 25, 2012, 08:52:19 AM

La Quinta; I haven't made this yet - wanted to get some feedback before I gave it try to see if it was a waste of time or not.

Habs; I am starting this now and would also like your opinion on what temps for IT and for the bath. Unlike Cobra I do not have high hopes for this, but am going to try it anyway. The recipe calls for vegetable shortening which is what I am going to use but I am thinking to cut the amount in half - not sure if that is a good idea or not especially since I am using Halibut which is low in fat.

Well I am off to start trimming the fish and grinding --- wish me luck.

cobra6223 · February 25, 2012, 09:45:16 AM

Well JZ you beat me to it, called to get some carp but nobody, hard to believe I can't find some carp around here I almost passed out!! ;D Halbut is pretty costly around here and if you don't want to waste it I could give you my addy to help you get rid of it. I live on the Mississippi and around here if it contains any kind of fish even carp people make it taste very good and every body goes crazy for it. GOOD LUCK and don't forget lots of pics.
Thanks Tim

JZ · February 25, 2012, 10:47:56 AM

Its ground up, mixed up, stuffed and in the pot cooking right now. It actually smells ok but time will tell. I am a little concerned since there are quite a few air pockets in the casing. I didn't want to break out the stuffer for 2 1/2 lbs so I tried using the grinder again and gave up. Stuffed the meat into the casings by hand.

Pics will follow - good or bad you will see the results later after they have cooled off.

Ok here they are:

First the fish - a small fillet of Halibut weighed just over 3 lbs dressed to 2 1/2 lbs

All mixed up and ready to stuff

Stuffed and ready for the swim.

Into the hot tub for a soak.

All cooled off and ready to be sliced.

And the $$$$

The larger of the 2 casings opened up on one end during the bath but I got lucky because the pot was not quite big enough and both ends of that casing were jammed up against the side of the pot. So only a little of the meat leaked out but I noted there was quite a bit of water that ran out of that sausage. This probably affected the taste - the bath water smelled great and I am guessing that a lot of the flavor from this sausage ended up there.

The wife liked the taste and I thought it was better than expected but will have to wait until it sits in the fridge overnight to see if it improves. I might also cut into the other one to see if there is a difference. I will let you know the outcome tomorrow.

Definitely a different kind of sausage.

cobra6223 · February 25, 2012, 12:34:53 PM

my eyes are BUGGING out waiting like a kid a Christmas !! HURRY

Habanero Smoker · February 25, 2012, 12:52:59 PM

Sorry I'm late to the party. I was going to suggest an internal temperature of 160°F.

JZ · February 25, 2012, 01:11:13 PM

Habs; you didn't miss any of the fun parts and no apologies please. I went to 180 but I am sure it was cooked before that. I wonder if it would have turned out any different if I pulled it at 160.

Cobra; you must have posted just as I hit the send button. Oh and Merry Christmas.

Habanero Smoker · February 25, 2012, 01:26:46 PM

I just read a post by 10.5, seems like he takes his even lower than 160°F. I was checking the recipes I have, and none give an internal temperature. They generally say simmer at 180°F for 15 minutes or something within that range.

JZ · February 25, 2012, 03:05:45 PM

Wow - I had these things at 200 for about an hour to get it up to 180 IT. I wonder if they would have been firmer at a lower bath temp and lower IT. If I do this again I might give that a try.

Still gonna have to cut open the one that did not open up on the end to see if it is any better tasting or firmer. Tomorrow.