Blanched Hungarian-style Beef Sausage

Name: Blanched Hungarian-style Beef Sausage
Total time: 1200 s
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 8 Hungarian beef sausages; Hot water, enough to fully submerge the sausages; Ice and cold water, for the ice bath

Bianca Mwale @bianca_eatsy

Zomba, Malawi

In my very short experience making sausages from scratch, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt from making my own sausages, it’s that there’s always another way to do it. For this batch of Hungarian beef sausages, I tried blanching them first before storing them in the fridge. The idea is simple: gently cook the sausages first, cool them quickly, then when you’re ready to eat, you only need a shorter cooking time to get them beautifully browned on the grill or in the pan.

It’s especially handy when you’ve made a batch and want an easier, quicker sausage situation later. Which is why the best way to store them is by freezing them in airtight freezer-safe bags, trays or containers. Separate them into portions so you can thaw only what you need. #september2027

Bianca Mwale @bianca_eatsy

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Ingredients

20 minutes

Serves 4 servings

8Hungarian beef sausages
Hot water, enough to fully submerge the sausages
Ice and cold water, for the ice bath

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Steps

20 minutes

1

OPTIONAL: Blanching Hungarian sausage
Heat enough water in a large pot to fully submerge the sausages. The water should be hot and steaming but not boiling (about 75–80°C if you have a thermometer). Vigorous boiling can burst the casings
2

Gently place only enough sausages in the pot to form one loose layer. Don’t overcrowd them. If you have a lot, blanch them in several batches. They will initially sink to the bottom
3

Allow them to blanch gently for about 10 minutes. I didn’t have a thermometer, so I used the sausages rising and floating to the surface after about 10 minutes as my cue to remove them. If you have a food thermometer, use it instead and check that the centre reaches 71°C
4

Immediately transfer the sausages to an ice bath. Leave them there until they are thoroughly chilled and the fat inside the sausages begins to visibly solidify again
5

Remove the sausages from the ice bath and pat them thoroughly dry with paper towels. Arrange sausages on disposable trays, wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook
6

Bonus side by side view of Hungarian sausages and pure beef sausages
7

When ready to eat, grill or pan-fry the sausages over medium heat until heated through and nicely browned on the outside

Tips

The ice bath cools the sausages quickly and helps stop the cooking process. Keep the sausages refrigerated after blanching and cook them thoroughly before serving

Serve hot with your favourite sides. These are great grilled or pan-fried and can be served with eggs, potatoes, vegetables, bread, or a fresh salad. They also work well sliced into sandwiches