Thai-flavoured skinless sausages

This is my simplified version of the knockout spicy “Sai ua” or northern Thai pork sausages. Traditionally the minced pork mix is put into sausage casings and they are cooked and smoked. Here I have made them without skins so they are more achievable for the home cook. You can smoke them if you like, but they are delicious either way.

I became quite addicted to these while in Chiang Mai, and I think I ordered them at almost every meal. They were always served with Thai sweet chilli sauce which has become a little overused in New Zealand. I was interested to see this sauce’s traditional role in Thai cookery.

Ingredients

2	Red chillies, deseeded and sliced
¼ tsp	Chilli flakes
5 cloves	Garlic, finely chopped
5 sticks	Lemongrass, white bulbous part only, peeled, and thinly sliced
60 g	Shallots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp	Salt
1 tsp	Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp	Soy sauce, naturally brewed
600 g	Pork mince (Main)
2	Kaffir lime leaves, central stem removed, leaves very thinly sliced
1 handful	Coriander, coarsely chopped
3 Tbsp	Vegetable oil
¾ cup	Desiccated coconut, shredded, optional
2	Baby cos lettuce, leaves, for serving
150 ml	Sweet chilli sauce

Directions

1. Put the chillies, chilli flakes, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, salt, pepper and soy sauce into a small food processor and process until smooth.
2. Put the pork into a large mixing bowl and add the chilli mixture, the kaffir lime leaves and coriander. Mix well with clean hands. The mixture will be quite wet at first. Pick up handfuls and slap them against the side of the bowl until the mixture has thickened.
3. Form into 12 sausage shapes.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan over moderately high heat and brown the sausages all over. Fry gently for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively you could brush the oil over the sausages and barbecue them which will give a smoky flavour. If you want a stronger smoked flavour, (traditionally these sausages are smoked) line a wok with foil and add the desiccated coconut.
5. Place the browned sausages, side by side, on a rack (I use a small round cake rack). Put the rack in the wok and place over high heat. Wait until the coconut starts to burn. Cover and smoke for 5 minutes. Uncover, remove the sausages from the rack and serve on cos leaves with the chilli sauce on the side.

More Thai-inspired recipes from Ray

• Barbecued chicken and spicy dipping sauce
• Prawn and pineapple salad