Sausage-Sauerkraut Balls
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 6, 2014
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Makes 3 dozen
Ingredients
1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage 1 onion, chopped fine1 teaspoon caraway seeds 1 teaspoon ground fennel 3 tablespoons plus 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups sauerkraut, drained and chopped coarse4 ounces cream cheese, softened1 tablespoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper 1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 3 large eggs¼ cup minced fresh chives 3 cups fresh bread crumbs 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
Before You Begin
Serve with Dijon mustard.
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook sausage, onion, caraway seeds, and fennel in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour until incorporated.
- Off heat, stir in sauerkraut, cream cheese, mustard, and 1 teaspoon pepper until cream cheese melts. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes, then stir in beaten egg and chives. Divide mixture into 36 portions, about 1 heaping tablespoon each. Roll into balls and transfer to prepared sheet.
- Place remaining 1 cup flour in shallow dish; beat remaining 3 eggs in second shallow dish; and place bread crumbs in third shallow dish. Season bread crumbs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Working with 6 balls at a time, roll in flour, dip in eggs, and coat with bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Divide balls between 2 large plates and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. If balls have flattened on bottom during freezing, reshape to round. Add 12 balls to oil. Adjust burner, as necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees. Fry until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer balls to wire rack. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining balls in two batches. Serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Makes 3 dozenIngredients
1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground fennel
3 tablespoons plus 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sauerkraut, drained and chopped coarse
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 3 large eggs
¼ cup minced fresh chives
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
Ingredients
1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground fennel
3 tablespoons plus 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sauerkraut, drained and chopped coarse
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 3 large eggs
¼ cup minced fresh chives
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
Ingredients
1 pound bulk pork breakfast sausage
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground fennel
3 tablespoons plus 1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sauerkraut, drained and chopped coarse
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten, plus 3 large eggs
¼ cup minced fresh chives
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil
Why This Recipe Works
These two-bite, crispy fried sausage balls are a popular snack in northeast Ohio. They’re made from a combination of bulk sausage, briny sauerkraut, and cream cheese. To bump up the flavor of the sausage balls, we add caraway seeds, ground fennel, Dijon mustard, and minced fresh chives. Rolled into balls, the sausage mixture gets a 30-minute stint in the freezer to firm up after getting breaded in flour, beaten egg, and fresh bread crumbs. Then the balls are fried in hot peanut oil until they’re deep golden brown, crispy, and irresistible, in Ohio, or anywhere else in the country!
Before You Begin
Serve with Dijon mustard.
Instructions
- Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook sausage, onion, caraway seeds, and fennel in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking sausage into small pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour until incorporated.
- Off heat, stir in sauerkraut, cream cheese, mustard, and 1 teaspoon pepper until cream cheese melts. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes, then stir in beaten egg and chives. Divide mixture into 36 portions, about 1 heaping tablespoon each. Roll into balls and transfer to prepared sheet.
- Place remaining 1 cup flour in shallow dish; beat remaining 3 eggs in second shallow dish; and place bread crumbs in third shallow dish. Season bread crumbs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
- Working with 6 balls at a time, roll in flour, dip in eggs, and coat with bread crumbs, pressing gently to adhere. Divide balls between 2 large plates and freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Add oil to large Dutch oven until it measures about 1 1/2 inches deep and heat over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. If balls have flattened on bottom during freezing, reshape to round. Add 12 balls to oil. Adjust burner, as necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees. Fry until deep golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer balls to wire rack. Return oil to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining balls in two batches. Serve.
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