Dish of Utopenci - Pickled Sausages
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Utopenci - Pickled Sausages


Czech Republic   -   Utopenci

Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  
2 qt
**
1+ week
Must
In the Czech Republic, all the better pubs have a big jar of pickled eggs and a big jar of these pickled sausages - they are extremely popular with beer.

3
ar
8
------
1
3
2/3
2/3
4
2
2/3
1/2
------

#

oz
---
c
c
t
t


t
t
---

Smoked Sausage (1)  
Mustard
Onion
-- Pickle (2)
Water
Vinegar 5%
Peppercorns
Allspice whole
Bay Leaf
Chilis (3)
Salt
Sugar
------------

This recipe is scaled for a 2 quart (8 cup / 1/2 gallon / 2 litre) jar.

Make   -   (5+ days - 30 min work)
  1. IF your SAUSAGES have thick or artificial casings, strip them off.
  2. Cut the Sausages as needed to fit in the jar you are using, but not too short. Make a lengthwise cut about 2/3 way through the sausage pieces.
  3. Spread Mustard in the cut - not too much.
  4. Cut ONION lengthwise into long, very thin slices. Pack a few strips into the cut on each sausage piece. They go in easiest with the ends pointing down.
  5. Cover the bottom of a sterile jar with the remaining Onion slices. Pack the sausage pieces into the jar, fairly tightly. Put remaining Onion slices on top.
  6. Mix all Pickle items and bring to a simmer in a non-reactive pan. Simmer slowly for about 5 minutes.
  7. Let Pickle cool just a few degrees and pour over the Sausages until the jar is full. As you go, spoon the spices into the jar. If you have excess pickle, keep it to replenish the jar when you pull the first sausage for testing (bring it back to a boil first).
  8. Keep in a cool place or in the refrigerator - depending on your water to vinegar ratio. They should be OK to eat in about 5 days (again, depending on your vinegar ratio) but 7 days is better and 14 days is considered best. Even with a high vinegar ratio I'd refrigerate after 7 days, but with low vinegar you need to refrigerate from the start.
  9. Serve with Czech beer.
NOTES:
  1. Sausages:

      Polish Kielbasa is good, or any other smoked sausage that is fully cooked, such as smoked bratwurst. I buy sausages in the vacuum pack to be sure they are sterile.
  2. Pickle:

      Here is where recipes diverge rather widely. My ratio is 3 to 1 in favor of vinegar. I have seen them as far as 1 to 3 favoring water to 4 to 1 favoring vinegar. The most important difference, other than flavor, is curing temperature. At 1 to 3 favoring water, the jar must always be refrigerated. At 3 to 1 favoring vinegar it can be un-refrigerated at least part of the time.
  3. Chilis:

      Most Czech recipes do not call for Chilis - but I live in Southern California where a pickle without chilis is unthinkable. I use 2 to 4 very hot Thai type chilis, but use your own best judgement.
  4. Background:

      Utopenci means "Drowned Men". The story is that a miller invented this way of pickling smoked sausages, but later drowned while trying to repair his water wheel - thus suggesting the name. As with 99.87% of food stories and claims, it is unlikely to be true. Others say it's just because the sausages looked drowned in the vinegar - or we could get lewd here - but I'll leave that up to you.
  5. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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