grill, turning frequently, until browned all around and no longer pink in the center, 7 to 10 minutes. Just before the sausage balls are ready, lightly char the pita breads on both sides on the grill, about 30 seconds per side. Or, toast them in a toaster oven until beginning to turn golden.
To serve, place 2 sausage balls in the center of each pita. Top with the arugula salad, then the tomatoes, dividing them evenly. Drizzle the yogurt sauce over all, fold, and enjoy.
Pork and Water Chestnut Sausage
Water chestnuts are an underwater corm, and as you might imagine if you consider their natural environment, they are plump with water and crunchy. Their taste, on the other hand, is hard to pinpoint: it’s a cross between jicama and sugarcane with a hint of nuttiness, all diluted with water. In other words, it is somewhat bland. They are often used in Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes, mainly in stir-fries, for their snappy bite. That is also what they contribute to this sausage, which features Asian tastes. I use the sausage for stuffing wontons ( see recipe ), for making small balls to top steamed rice, for mixing into udon noodles, or for wrapping in lettuce leaves as the Thai and Laotians do with minced meats ( see recipe ) and the Vietnamese do with savory meatballs ( see recipe ).
Fresh water chestnuts are rarely found in markets, even those geared to an Asian clientele. They are seasonal and as much of a chore to peel as tree chestnuts (not a relative, despite the name). Canned water chestnuts fill that niche. They are available in grocery stores where even only a small amount of space is devoted to Asian ingredients. This sausage recipe calls for much less than what you get in a 6-ounce can, usually the smallest size sold. The remainder can be stored covered with fresh water in the refrigerator and used in homey stir-fries, salads, and slaws.
MAKES ½ POUND
½ pound ground pork
2 heaping tablespoons chopped water chestnuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions, white and light green parts
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry sherry, such as amontillado
¼ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Leave in bulk and shape and cook as directed in individual recipes. The sausage can be used right away, or it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well.
Pork and Water Chestnut Sausage Wontons in Watercress and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
In the annals of folk medicine, watercress soup is said to be good for soothing a dry throat or for when a general system-cleansing tonic is needed. Here, the nip and pep of watercress infuses chicken broth made rich with slivers of shiitake mushroom and plump sausage-filled wontons to produce a new take on wonton soup that is both healthful and delicious.
Hydroponic watercress, meaning watercress grown in water and without soil, closely resembles watercress you might pick alongside a running stream in spring, but it has finer, more delicate stems and far less dirt and sand on its leaves. It is often available year-round in supermarket produce sections.
SERVES 4 TO 6
½ pound Pork and Water Chestnut Sausage
20 to 22 square wonton wrappers
6 cups chicken broth
1 large shiitake mushroom (¾ ounce), stemmed and thinly sliced
1 cup packed watercress leaves and tender stems, preferably hydroponic
Kosher salt
To make the wontons, place 1 heaping teaspoon of the sausage in the center of each wonton wrapper. Lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water, and fold it over corner to corner to make a triangle. Press the edges together with a fork to seal. As the wontons are made, transfer them to a plate. Use right away, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, within a few hours.
To make the soup, combine the broth and
To serve, place 2 sausage balls in the center of each pita. Top with the arugula salad, then the tomatoes, dividing them evenly. Drizzle the yogurt sauce over all, fold, and enjoy.
Pork and Water Chestnut Sausage
Water chestnuts are an underwater corm, and as you might imagine if you consider their natural environment, they are plump with water and crunchy. Their taste, on the other hand, is hard to pinpoint: it’s a cross between jicama and sugarcane with a hint of nuttiness, all diluted with water. In other words, it is somewhat bland. They are often used in Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes, mainly in stir-fries, for their snappy bite. That is also what they contribute to this sausage, which features Asian tastes. I use the sausage for stuffing wontons ( see recipe ), for making small balls to top steamed rice, for mixing into udon noodles, or for wrapping in lettuce leaves as the Thai and Laotians do with minced meats ( see recipe ) and the Vietnamese do with savory meatballs ( see recipe ).
Fresh water chestnuts are rarely found in markets, even those geared to an Asian clientele. They are seasonal and as much of a chore to peel as tree chestnuts (not a relative, despite the name). Canned water chestnuts fill that niche. They are available in grocery stores where even only a small amount of space is devoted to Asian ingredients. This sausage recipe calls for much less than what you get in a 6-ounce can, usually the smallest size sold. The remainder can be stored covered with fresh water in the refrigerator and used in homey stir-fries, salads, and slaws.
MAKES ½ POUND
½ pound ground pork
2 heaping tablespoons chopped water chestnuts
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions, white and light green parts
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry sherry, such as amontillado
¼ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Leave in bulk and shape and cook as directed in individual recipes. The sausage can be used right away, or it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well.
Pork and Water Chestnut Sausage Wontons in Watercress and Shiitake Mushroom Soup
In the annals of folk medicine, watercress soup is said to be good for soothing a dry throat or for when a general system-cleansing tonic is needed. Here, the nip and pep of watercress infuses chicken broth made rich with slivers of shiitake mushroom and plump sausage-filled wontons to produce a new take on wonton soup that is both healthful and delicious.
Hydroponic watercress, meaning watercress grown in water and without soil, closely resembles watercress you might pick alongside a running stream in spring, but it has finer, more delicate stems and far less dirt and sand on its leaves. It is often available year-round in supermarket produce sections.
SERVES 4 TO 6
½ pound Pork and Water Chestnut Sausage
20 to 22 square wonton wrappers
6 cups chicken broth
1 large shiitake mushroom (¾ ounce), stemmed and thinly sliced
1 cup packed watercress leaves and tender stems, preferably hydroponic
Kosher salt
To make the wontons, place 1 heaping teaspoon of the sausage in the center of each wonton wrapper. Lightly brush the edges of the wrapper with water, and fold it over corner to corner to make a triangle. Press the edges together with a fork to seal. As the wontons are made, transfer them to a plate. Use right away, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, within a few hours.
To make the soup, combine the broth and
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