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To my sadness, our local Whole Foods no longer carries (at least not regularly) delicious chicken apple-spice sausages. I found a good reference for poultry sausage recipes, and decided to make some patty-style “sausages” — in quotes since I don’t have casings. These patties work nicely for the toad in the hole dish! Also, the spices are warming, not hot, since there isn’t any pepper or chile — although those might be a future option. 🙂

This recipe yields 4 patties. Go ahead and double it!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken meat (preferably thigh/dark meat)
• 1 1/2 ounces dried apples
• (optional) 1/2 to 1 ounce dried tart cherries or apricots
• (optional) handful of fresh parsley and/or mint
• 4 teaspoons garlic-infused olive oil; or another infused oil, or good quality, unflavored extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
• 4 teaspoons red wine, white wine, or verjus; preferably red wine as that adds more depth of flavor
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ghee, or bacon drippings
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, or 1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
• scant 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• scant 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• vegetable oil (grape seed, olive, canola, etc.)

Method

1. Mince the apples and, if using, other dried fruit and fresh herbs in a food processor — or do so with a sharp knife. Place in a medium microwave-proof jug.
2. Add in the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, wine (or verjus), chicken stock, butter (or ghee or drippings), spices, and salt. Zap the mixture in microwave for about a minute. Stir until well combined.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flavorings with the chicken and stir well again. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to allow flavors to meld.
4. Give the chicken mixture a good stir if any liquid has seeped out. Coat your hands with vegetable oil to reduce sticking. Form into patties adding another coat of oil.
5. Cook as desired, or freeze (wrapped in parchment or plastic wrap) for later usage.