Pigs in Spicy Blankets
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr 15 min
- Prep: 1 hr 40 min
- Cook: 35 min
- Yield: 16 pieces
Ingredients
For the sausage:
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried sage
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, well beaten
For the chipotle-agave mustard:
3 tablespoons agave syrup
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle chiles in adobo)
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Make the sausage: Toast the coriander, fennel and caraway seeds in a small skillet over high heat, stirring, until fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool completely, then grind with a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Add the garlic, sage, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and the red pepper flakes; grind to mix. Combine the spices with the ground pork in a bowl. Add the maple syrup and mix. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the dough: Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, baking soda, cayenne and sea salt in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 5 to 6 times (for 4 to 5 seconds each time), until the mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the mozzarella and pulse 3 to 4 times, until well combined. Add the buttermilk and process until a ball forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Form the sausage mixture into 16 mini sausages, about 4 inches long (use about 2 tablespoons sausage for each). Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausages in 2 batches until cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cool on paper towels.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Sprinkle with flour, then gently pat out and roll into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Trim the edges to make them even. Cut the rectangle in half crosswise, then cut each half into four 3-by-8-inch strips. Cut each strip in half diagonally to form 16 long triangles. Transfer to a baking sheet, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place 1 sausage on the wide end of a dough triangle and roll up. Repeat with the remaining dough and sausages. Arrange the pigs in blankets 2 inches apart on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the chipotle-agave mustard: Combine the agave, both mustards, the adobo sauce and a pinch of black pepper in a bowl. Serve the pigs in blankets with the mustard.
