Sausage at the Seward Co-op is no afterthought — besides having great local meats, they also make sausage in-house. Here’s a sampling of some of the more exotic things in the sausage case:
Venison Boerwors | $7.99 / lb.
Made with venison, pork, clove and nutmeg.
The little sign in the case mentions that this is a South African inspired sausage. It had a hint of gamey flavor, but ultimately the sweet clove and nutmeg flavors really shine through.
Haggis | $3.99 / lb.
Made with beef hearts, liver, tongue, kidneys, oats and garlic
Yes, haggis. The traditional Scottish dish is made in a sheep’s stomach, but the Seward version is served in a more familiar intestinal casing. The flavor recalls a mild chopped liver — the iron tang of liver is mellowed by the oats and other organs. While the sausage monger may tell you to cook it like other sausage, the large continuous casing and the loose texture of the meat mixture inside makes the sausage squish out of the ends as the casing shrinks from the heat (see above). This can lead to an unsettling “It’s still moving!”sensation when you cut it open.
Yukon Gold Potato Banger | $5.99 / lb.
Made with Yukon Gold potatoes, pork, garlic, Dijon, chive.
This sausage is a fun play on “bangers and mash” — a traditional UK breakfast of sausage and potatoes. The sausage has a loose texture and a mild flavor, making it ideal for morning dinging. The potato flavor is lost in the combination, but it probably gets the credit for the sausage’s gentle flavor and subtle sweetness.
Umbrian Raisin Sausage | $5.99 / lb.
Made with pork, golden raisins, Dijon, Rosemary, pine nuts.
This is the most unusual flavor combination we sampled. The fruit is a strong first player, followed by a mustard and port wine body. You could plan a dinner party around this sausage.
Learn more about this business in The Heavy Table’s Atlas of Ethical Eating and Drinking.
I would love to attend a dinner party planned around that sausage!
That Umbrian Raisin sounds amazing.
Yum, Yum, Yum, Yum.
i actually served this exact sausage a few weeks ago, at a dinner party. sausage and swiss chard over polenta. it turned out great.
We eat scads of Seward Co-op sausages, and love them all.
Bill Baskins, formerly of the Red Stag, is doing a fine job!
Don’t overlook the less exotic breakfast sausages. They are absolutely delicious!
I’m hoping for a pork, apple, gouda combination this summer!
The Umbrian lamb sausage doesn’t always include raisins, and I love the non-raisin version! I heard a rumor that the guy responsible for the Coop’s sausage brilliance was until recently the lead chef at Red Stag. True?
Oh. Just saw Reetsyburger’s comment. I guess it is true.
I had the Umbrian sausage the other night, and it was quite good. The fruit really adds a lot to what is usually a very salty food. I’ll definitely buy it again. I’ve also had the haggis. It’s not quite as good as I had in Edinburgh, but it was good. Have your HP sauce ready!
Ugly photos. Looks like someone crapped on a cutting board.
Yeah, it’s sausage. Doesn’t mean it should look like a turd collection.