Subtle House's Cookbook

Note: Microwaving sausage, whether to cook it or to reheat it, is not recommended; it can become dry and rubbery very quickly.

Ingredients

3 lb ground turkey

Seasonings
1 Tbsp fennel seeds, crushed slightly
1 Tbsp powdered sage
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
0.5 tsp dried thyme
0.5 tsp onion powder
0.25 tsp garlic powder

Equipment

Small sharp knife
Small mixing
Large mixing bowl
Fork or whisk
Nitrile gloves
If baking:
- Oven
- Two baking sheets
- Nonstick foil
- Instant-read thermometer
If frying:
- Stove (one burner)
- Frying pan
- Olive oil
- Slotted spatula
- Instant-read thermometer (not needed for crumbled sausage)
- Plate or bowl
- Paper towels
If freezing patties or meatballs:
- Two baking sheets
- Nonstick foil
If freezing logs:
- Cutting board
- Plastic wrap

Instructions

0) Mise en place. Gather your ingredients and tools. If baking or freezing the sausage, line baking sheets with nonstick foil. If baking, preheat the oven to 400F. Mix the seasoning ingredients in the small bowl. Use the paring knife to cut open the package of turkey.

1) Season the meat. Put on gloves and put the turkey in the large bowl, spreading it out as much as possible. Pour the seasonings over the meat. Mix the turkey well with your hands until the seasonings are evenly distributed.

2a) Bake. Divide the mixture in half and put each half on a baking tray. Divide and shape each half into 16 smallish meatballs or patties. Bake 10 minutes; flip patties (not necessary for meatballs) and rotate trays; bake about 10 minutes more until the internal temperature of the largest meatball/patty reaches 175F.

2b) Fry. Optional: divide the sausage into portions and shape them into meatballs or patties. Line a plate with paper towels. Heat olive oil and a drop of water in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until the water sizzles. Pan-fry crumbled sausage until no longer pink; pan-fry meatballs or patties until internal temp reaches 175F. Place the sausage on the towel-lined plate to drain briefly before serving or incorporating into another dish.

2c) Freeze as patties or meatballs. Divide the mixture in half and put each half on a baking tray. Divide and shape each half into 16 smallish meatballs or patties. Put the trays in the freezer. When the meat is frozen solid, put it in bags labeled "Bake at 400F 30 minutes or fry".

2d) Freeze as logs. Divide the mixture into four parts, put them on the cutting board, and shape each one into a log. Wrap each log tightly in several layers of plastic wrap. Freeze until solid, then place in a bag labeled "Partially thaw, slice into patties, bake at 400F 30 minutes or fry".

3) Serve and store. Once cooked, sausage will keep for about 7 days in the fridge. Cooked sausage can be frozen, but don't re-freeze meat that has already been frozen once.

Sources:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/homemade-italian-turkey-sausage
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/216319/homemade-sweet-italian-sausage-mild-or-hot/
http://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/2014/11/10/homemade-italian-sausage-seasoning/