Chicken sausage with pistachios and ham

Chicken sausage with pistachios and hamServe with mushroom risotto and apples poached in red wine

Serves 4

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If you wish, double or triple the recipe, make the sausages the size you want, cook the quantity you want and freeze the rest for another occasion. When needed, let defrost in the refrigerator and cook as instructed in the recipe.

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The chicken:
4 free-range chicken breasts, skin and bones removed, cut into small dice
½ cup spring onions
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons coriander, chopped
2 tablespoons/ pistachios, roughly chopped
½ cup/ white breadcrumbs
1 cup/ prosciuto, roughly chopped
pinch nutmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2½ cups/ fresh cream
1 egg white
1 tablespoon/45 ml olive oil

The apples in red wine:
4 cups cold water
juice of 1 lemon
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored, keep whole
½ bottle red wine
4 tablespoons sugar
1 strip orange rind
2 whole cloves
¼ cinnamon stick

The risotto:
2 cups chicken stock
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for the mushrooms and onions)
150 g mixed mushrooms, finely sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil (for the risotto)
150 g Arborio rice 
²/₃ cup white wine
1 tablespoon truffle trimmings (optional or use 1 teaspoon truffle oil)
½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
4 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

The chicken:

• Process the chicken until smooth, then mix with the spring onions, garlic, coriander, pistachios, bread crumbs, prosciuto, nutmeg and salt and pepper.
• Whisk the cream until stiff and fold into the chicken mixture.
• Then whisk the egg white until stiff and carefully fold it also into the chicken mixture.
• Take a large piece of foil and generously brush with some oil.  Form the chicken mixture into a cylindrical shape about 6 cm/2.5 in in diameter, then roll into sausage.  Twist the ends of the foil to seal well, then place in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

The apples:

• Peel the apples, cut a small slice from the base of each apple so it can sit without toppling, then leave in a bowl of lemon water until ready to use. 
• In a small saucepan big enough to fit the whole apples snugly, combine the wine, sugar, orange rind, clove and cinnamon and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the apples, submerging them with a round piece of parchment paper over the liquid and a small plate on top. Simmer for 25 minutes or until they are almost tender when pierced with a skewer.
• Remove from the heat and leave the apple to cool completely in the liquid.
• Strain about one-third of the poaching liquid and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce until it becomes a syrupy glaze with a consistency of runny honey.  If it is too sticky, add a little more of the poaching liquid.

The risotto:

• In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer.  Pour out 1 cup of the stock into a bowl with the dried mushrooms.  Set aside to soak until soft — about 15 minutes.  Keep the rest of the stock hot for the risotto.
• Remove the soaked mushrooms from the soaking liquid and finely slice them.  Strain the soaking liquid of the mushrooms into the simmering stock.
• In a clean saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, then add the all the mushrooms (the shiitake mushrooms included) and onion and fry until cooked.  Remove from the saucepan and set aside.
• Wipe the saucepan and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, then add the rice and stir to coat until it is lightly toasted but not coloured.
• Add the wine and bring to the boil until all the alcohol has evaporated. Stir in half a cup of the stock and stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
• Continue adding the remaining stock, half a cup at a time, to the rice whilst stirring constantly, until almost all but half a cup of stock remains. This should take about 25 minutes.
• Add the cooked mushrooms, the onions and the balance of the stock.  Stir to heat through.  Remove from the heat, stir in the truffle trimmings (or truffle oil), the cheese and chives, and season to taste.
• Serve immediately with the chicken sausage and poached apples and drizzle the sauce around.