Sausagefest 2005

What makes a good sausage? The answer is this: fat. OK, seasoning matters, but fat is very important. In our experience, the best meat for sausage is lamb. If you use a lean meat like chicken, which can make a fine sausage, you have to use apples or cheese to keep the sausage moist.

Some winning combinations, for which there is no perfect ratio of ingredients other than whatever floats your culinary boat, are:

• Bacon with maple syrup (to increase the nutritional value, of course)
• Pork belly with lemongrass, chili and lime
• Lamb with garlic, onion, cumin, tomato, and a piece of bread moistened with wine (crazy!)
• Lamb with dried apricots, raisins, fresh thyme, curry powder and cumin
• Chicken with Granny Smith apple
• Pork with sun dried tomato, mozzarella, garlic and basil
• Pork with brie and apples
• Duck with pork pate (foie gras if you're feeling extravagant), shallots, garlic, apple, and candied almonds

Some unfortunate attempts perpetrated by the kitchen-phobic:

• Octopus with lemon and pepper
• Catfish with Old Bay Seasoning