Ingredients
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Medister sausage
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2 1/4 pound Pork
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1/2 pound pork belly
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1 Onion
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1 1/4 tsp Salt
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1 tsp ground cloves
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1 tsp ground nutmeg
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2 tsp ground allspice
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1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
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3 tbsp potato starch
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2 egg whites
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300 ml Chicken Stockice cold
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3 yards sausage casing
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White Cabbage Stew
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1 small white cabbage head
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2 1/2 dl reserved water from cabbage
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4 tbsp Salted Butter
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4 tbsp all purpose flour
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to desired consistency Milk
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to taste ground nutmeg
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to taste Salt & pepper
Directions
What started as a “peasant” food is now known all over the country! Cabbage was always something that was readily available and cheap for farmers and poor Danes in the 18th century, but now this dish has become a staple in Danish cuisine. Medister sausage is made from finely minced pork and lard, seasoned with a special mixture of spices. It is often served with white cabbage – a special dish in its own right, consisting of boiled finely chopped white cabbage in a milk-based sauce, sometimes with the addition of whole cream.
Some Danes also like to sprinkle a mixture of sugar and ground cinnamon on top!
Preparation:
For the Danish medister sausage:
- Make sure that all your ingredients are cold.
- Cut meat, pork belly, and onion into pieces that can go into the meat grinder. Grind it all 2 times on the course setting. Add all the spices, potato starch, and egg whites and mix it well.
- Start adding the cold chicken stock a little at a time. You want the mixture to be soft but by no means runny.
- Put the mixture into the refrigerator to rest for 30-40 minutes.
- Rinse the casings in plenty of cold running water. Let tap water run through the casing. This way you’ll find any holes in the casing.
- Take a little dollop of the mixture and fry it on a small skillet, and test it, when it’s cooked completely. This way you can taste the mixture, without tasting the raw meat. Season the mixture with salt, pepper, and other spices. Use a sausage filler to fill up the casing. There are many different models on the market, but follow the instructions for the one you have.
- Traditionally medisterpølse is made as one big sausage. Let the sausage rest for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator before cooking.
- You can choose to pan-fry it directly in butter on medium heat for 15-18 minutes until fully cooked, turnip the sausage a few times. Another option is to put some water and butter in the pan, and place the raw sausage in the pan and then heat the whole thing up. Turning the sausage ones before the water evaporates, and the frying starts. This way you are pre-boiling and frying the sausage in 1 step, and no need for additional pots and pans.
- Serve medisterpølse/pork sausage with boiled potatoes and white cabbage stew.
For the White Cabbage Stew:
- Discard outer cabbage leaves. Divide cabbage head into four quarters, cut out the core, and chop cabbage into bite-size pieces.
- Boil cabbage in lightly salted water for 10 minutes. Reserve 2 1/2 cups of cabbage water, drain the cabbage.
- Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, and whisk for 1-2 minutes until roux takes on a light golden color. Slowly add milk in small increments whisking constantly until you have a thick roux, then add cabbage water in small increments continuing to whisk until desired consistency. (If Bechamel sauce is still too thick at this point you can add a little more milk).
- Season to taste with fresh ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Add cabbage to the sauce and simmer covered for 5-10 minutes.
