One of my relative who once went to London for some work came back to inform me that he had seen a meat shop in London with a caption “Entally Sausages Available Here”. When it comes to food we often only consider Rosogolla or other sweet desserts as our true heritage food from Kolkata but if you look deep this city has much more than Rosogollas. With the confluence of cultures way back from the British to the late internal immigrants this city has slowly become a natural mixed bag when it comes to food. The city’s unique ability to adapt with the changes make Kolkata a truly remarkable place to live and eat.
Story of Kolkata Sausages
Today I am going to tell you a story of a good old English Sausage which the city has adopted and made some special changes giving it a much personalized taste. I am talking about Entally Sausages, as the name suggest these started being made particularly in the Entally Market region, however at present its much widely available and there are several shops across the city but all of them owe their due diligence to Entally Market for teaching them the tips and tricks.
What is a Sausage
Sausages are mostly a meat product and come with various combinations. These can be Chicken, Mutton, Beef, mixed meat or sometimes even with Soya Bean and Tofu. There is also the Blood Sausage but will talk about them later. The English love their sausages and obviously they brought the knowledge to this city when they ruled much of the country.
Somehow the pure English Sausages were bland in taste for the native Indians as they were mostly seasoned with black pepper and other milder spices. It is then that some came up with the brilliant idea of modifying the basic formula and add some Indian Spice twist. Without delaying any further let me tell you how the world famous Entally Sausages are made.
Kolkata Sausage Making Process
Once you reach the market you have the option to buy either readymade sausages or make them as per your customization. I would always recommend them to be made as per customization then we can be absolutely sure of the taste and that of the freshness.
First you need to but the meat, in this case its pork. Choose the best suitable piece and buy it according to its weight, make sure to have a right balance between the meat and the fat. I prefer a 70 – 30 ratio, with 70% meat and 30% fat. Fats are an integral part of the sausage sine its cooks itself in its own oil mostly.
The meat is then minced using an electric mincer and the fats are diced into small bits which are then added to the minced meat.
Next the master sausage maker adds some finely chopped Onion are added to the mixed minced meat and one needs to keep pestering him to add more of chopped onion as this really enhance the taste.
Then the real tricks takes place, he then ads Salt & Garam Masala to the minced meat and mixes them thoroughly. He then adds Red Chilli Powder to the mix and the quantity depends on our choice. Personally I prefer less of red chilli powder and add more of diced Green Chilli as the flavour with green chillies taste much better.
Next come another important part when the sausage maker adds a combination of Coriander, Mint & Celery Leaf. Usually he will add a little in quantity but insist him to add some more as this creates the real flavouring.
The final mix is thoroughly mixed so that the entire concoction is equally distributed across. Once this is done the master now needs to insert this mix into an intestine with the help of a funnel. This portion looks easy but trust me it’s real tricky, you need to insert the paste into the thin intestine to the maximum without breaking or leaking them.
Once the whole length is filled up the master then separates them into different section by trying knots in regular interval giving them the distinct shape of a sausage.
The sausages are now ready to be cooked. You need to pay the shop for the weight of the meat and making charges for the sausages. If you are real happy with his service then do not forget to tip the master sausage maker.
Cooking The Sausages
Once back home you just need to give the sausages a quick wash and then simply add the sausages in a Karahi (deep cooking pot) with a little water and a little Mustard Oil. Ensure to prick some holes in the sausages with a needle or a safety pin else when heated the sausages skin might burst open as the hot air needs to escape out.
After sometime the sausages will start releasing its own oil due to the fat content and the entire kitchen will fill up with an unforgettable aroma, it’s now that the sausages are done and ready to be eaten.
TIme to eat
Some prefer to have them with bread while some prefer just plain white rice, whichever way it tastes awesome and you will surely have a second helping. Once if you have these sausages then you will not like any other variety as these are spicy and much different for the ready to eat frozen sausages.
Enjoy the unique Entally Sausages and soon I will be back with another blog.