Breakfast Sausage

I don't know about you, but when I hear breakfast sausage, I think of the tube of scary meat in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, full of nitrates and things we can't pronounce, made from poor little pigs and all of their parts. Yack.

The challenge is, how do I make a flavorful breakfast sausage that I can eat without feeling awful about it? The trick is turkey and lots of natural flavor.

 It really helps that I have my own herb garden. There are quite a few herbs I don't have yet, but the ones I do have are awesome and I love them a lot. One of the main herbs in breakfast sausage is sage. Two of the key spices are fennel seed and black pepper. Everything else you can sort of wing.

 I will share here what I put together, and it turned out really well - if I do say so myself.

You will need about a pound of ground turkey. I recommend using not just breast, since you want the flavor from the dark meat as well. If and when possible, always get happy, natural meats - it's really worth it. Pay a little more - eat a little less. It balances out, and the animals and your body will thank you.

So, a pound of ground turkey
2 generous tablespoons of chopped fresh sage (which you can get at the grocery store if you don't grow your own)
1 generous tablespoon of chopped thyme or lemon thyme (this is an amazing herb - you'll love it!)
1 level tablespoon of fennel seed
2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper. Don't use that pre-ground powder stuff.
2 tsp of kosher salt
1 tsp of 5-spice (I'll talk about that in a  minute) (this is optional, but it will add a lot of depth)
1 clove of finely minced garlic - or if you have it - 1/2 tsp of very good granulated garlic
2 tablespoons of good olive oil

Mix this well with your hands - and mind your poultry hygiene. Cover and refrigerate over night. This is key and will allow all the spices and herbs to blossom and really flavor the meat. The olive oil will give you a moist patty - turkey tends to be dry.

Chinese 5-spice powder is the most excellent go-to spice to have in your arsenal of flavorings. It adds tons of depth to many dishes. In this case, you'll get a good layer of UMAMI - that deep mmm that some foods have. You can't put your finger (or tongue) on it, but it is gooood.

The day has dawned and you want breakfast!

Haul out your sausage and with wet hands make some small patties - as many as you need. If you have sausage meat left over, put it in a plastic bag, squish it flat and throw it in the freezer. Next time you want some you can break off as much as you'll need, thaw it in the fridge, form patties and proceed to fry and eat.

In a (preferably cast iron) skillet, heat some olive oil till it's making ripples but not smoking. Put in your patties - they should hiss a lot upon hitting the pan. Fry fairly quickly - about 2-3 minutes on one side (and don't fuss with them while they're browning), then flip and do another minute or so on the other side. Let them rest while you make your eggs - assuming you'll have eggs with the sausage. In fact, you can make your eggs in the very pan you fried the sausages, and you'll have that deliciousness flavoring your eggs a little, too.

Your sausages should be done all the way through, but still moist - so don't overcook them or you'll end up with hockey pucks. And who wants to eat that?

So now you have some good protein, herbs and spices that nurture different areas of the body, olive oil that provides you with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and you're good to go! Enjoy and let me know how these turn out for you.

Deliciously,

Alicia