Looking for the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of red beans with cornbread on the side? Look no further than your local southern-style deli, that – if it’s worth it’s salt – no doubt carries Louisiana Cajun sausage. If you can’t find this good ol’ southern-style food in your town or city, try the Internet. One search with the keywords “Louisiana Cajun Sausage” brings up more links to online purveyors of this fabulous fare than you’ll ever have time to click in one lifetime.

Louisiana Cajun sausage generally includes two types: andouille and boudin. If you can say, “ahn-doo-ee” and “boo-dan,” then you can pronounce the names of these two decidedly delicious sausages. Made from the butt or shank portion of a hog, andouille comes seasoned with simple ingredients such as salt, freshly ground pepper, and garlic. The distinct flavor comes from the smoking process – seven to eight hours over a combination of pecan wood and sugar cane.

Boudin, on the other hand, is a fresh sausage created from green onions, rice, and pork. Known as the “fast food of Acadiana (Louisiana’s 22-parish Cajun community), you can find this tasty sausage at gas stations, convenience stores – even at roadside stands. “Hot Boudin” ranks high as a southwestern Louisiana staple.

Here’s a recipe for this famous Louisiana Cajun sausage. Enjoy!

Louisiana Cajun Sausage – Boudin

3 cups water
½ lb. cubed fresh pork from shank or butt
¼ lb fresh pork liver
½ cup chopped green onion
1 small white onion, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
½ teaspoon celery seed
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup cooked white rice
sausage casings (found in specialty stores, order online, or buy at meat-packing plants)

Bring pork and liver to boil in water in large, two- or three-quart saucepan. Simmer until tender. With slotted spoon, remove and set aside to cool. Add both kinds of onion, parsley, celery seed, salt, and pepper to stock. Cook 10 minutes or until tender. Grind meat in meat grinder or food processor. Add to vegetable/stock mixture. Simmer on low heat to reduce most of liquid. Add rice and mix well. Stuff casings with mixture and prick to emit steam and to prevent bursting during cooking. Simmer in boiling water for 12-15 minutes. (For a crispy casing, heat in 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.)