Boudin Balls - biscuits and such
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Boudin Balls

There are many things we love about my brother-in-law, Bradley. He is kind, funny, good at mediating family arguments, and most importantly, he loves my sister. But perhaps the best fringe benefit of having a brother-in-law from Baton Rouge is that he brought boudin into our lives. And for that, we will forever be grateful.

boudin 1

Boudin (pronounced bou-dahn) is a Louisiana specialty, a Cajun tradition that adapts the French boudin blanc to what was readily available in the Acadian settlements. Cajun boudin is pork liver, ground pork shoulder, rice, parsley, green bell peppers, onions and spices all cooked, mixed together, and stuffed in casing. The cased boudin is then grilled or smoked and served with hot sauce, making it irresistibly delicious.

boudin balls 4

Bradley and Lauren bring boudin with them every time they visit, which meant that by the time I visited Avery Island, Louisiana, a few years ago with Tabasco I knew to be first in line every time boudin was served. One of the highlights of that trip for me was our visit to a local boucherie called Legnon’s to watch them making boudin. The process was incredible, I’m still in awe by how quickly those women were able to stuff and segment those sausages!

boudin balls 2

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We made a batch of boudin for Dan’s big birthday party a few weeks ago, and after we’d exhausted all the casing available we fried the remaining filling into boudin balls and served them with a spicy chipotle mustard. We smoked the boudin links and squirreled away a few in the freezer, which I will be cooking up this week in celebration of Mardi Gras. That, and the beignet dough I’ve been saving!

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Boudin Balls
adapted from Emeril‘s recipe for boudin

1 1/4 pounds pork shoulder, cubed

1/2 pound pork (or beef) liver, rinsed and cubed

1 quart water

1 small white onion, chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

3 tsps salt

2 tsps cayenne powder

1 tsp black pepper

3 cups cooked rice

A handful of chopped parsley

A handful of chopped green onion

In a large pan combine the meat and half of the vegetables (bell pepper, onion, garlic, celery) and half of the spices with the water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Drain, reserving a cup of broth. Put everything through a meat grinder with a 1/4″ die, along with the remaining fresh vegetables and half of the parsley. Mix the ground meat and vegetables with the rice, remaining parsley, green onions, and remaining spices. Refrigerate for 1 hour. *

Heat high-temp oil to 375F. Use your hands to pack the boudin into balls approximately the same size as golf balls. Fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot, with spicy mustard or hot sauce to dip.

*instructions on stuffing boudin in casing

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11 Comments

  • Mischa @ Accidental Farm Wife

    17.02.2015 at 07:41 Reply

    What a fun idea, I’ve never attempted boudin. Love cajun food, so must give this a try!

  • Ashley (QLCC)

    17.02.2015 at 08:16 Reply

    I love deep fried rice balls… I’ve been big into fried kimchi balls and arrancini lately, but I feel like boudins are the original fried rice ball ;) tasty!

  • Martha @ A Family Feast

    17.02.2015 at 12:37 Reply

    I’ve never tried boudin before – I think I’ve been missing out!

  • Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen)

    17.02.2015 at 16:55 Reply

    I love boudin. We have a festival here in Texas each May that has crawfish and boudin, and I look forward to it again this year. Maybe it’s time for me to start trying to make my own! Looks fantastic!

  • Laura

    17.02.2015 at 22:26 Reply

    I LOVE boudin. However, I never knew it had liver in it. I am torn between trying to forget I ever heard that and wondering if I would be brave enough to try making it–despite my lifelong hatred of liver lol. And it is not an organ meat thing–I am cool with organs, just not liver LOL. But I was always forced to try it plain. And I do love boudin…. Love these balls too!

    • Elena Rosemond-Hoerr

      18.02.2015 at 09:17 Reply

      Hah! I am touchy about liver too (not that you’d realize that by the past few recipes I’ve posted) but once it’s through the grinder it’s invisible. You’d just have to turn a blind eye for that part!

  • Alice

    19.02.2015 at 00:00 Reply

    is this similar in taste to boudin cheese? I love meatballs so I’m going to have to try this one, I love all of your suggestions!

  • Sarah

    23.04.2015 at 15:19 Reply

    So glad I found your website! It’s hard to find a good southern food blog that isn’t just semi-homecooking. I’m excited to try some of your recipes!

    • Elena Rosemond-Hoerr

      24.04.2015 at 05:25 Reply

      I’m so glad you found me! Thanks for the sweet words, I work hard to stay far away from the semi-homemade trap!

  • Jill Roberts @ WellnessGeeky

    11.01.2018 at 03:22 Reply

    These boudin balls absolutely something new for me! Looks yummy! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it. Thx for sharing recipe, i definitely add it to my cookbook!

  • Bella Hardy

    29.05.2018 at 03:27 Reply

    This is absolutely magnificent, scrumptious, delicious, super yummy boudin balls. Thx for sharing recipe, I definitely add it to my cookbook!

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