Holiday Bite

Mini Medisterpolse Pie

Medisterpolse (Med-easter-pulse) is the traditional allspice sausage that the Swiss use for the famous Swedish meatballs. Think of these as Swedish meatballs meet pigs in a blanket, and enjoy with friends and family.

Pie dough

Flour 2½c
Sugar ½Tbls
Salt ½tsp
Butter 1/2 Lb
Ice water 7-8 Tbls

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Cut cold butter into small cubes.
Using your hands, smash the cold butter into the flour mixture until a fine meal has formed.
Slowly add ice water into the flour mixture and combine until a dough ball can be formed.
Form the dough into a disk.
Wrap and refrigerate and allow to rest.

Flour 2½c
Sugar ½Tbls
Salt ½tsp
Butter 1/2 Lb
Ice water 7-8 Tbls

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Cut cold butter into small cubes.
Using your hands, smash the cold butter into the flour mixture until a fine meal has formed.
Slowly add ice water into the flour mixture and combine until a dough ball can be formed.
Form the dough into a disk.
Wrap and refrigerate and allow to rest.

Medisterpolse sausage

Pork 1 LB
Salt 8 grams
Garlic powder 1½tsp
Onion powder 1½tsp
Allspice powder 1/8tsp
Ginger powder 1/2tsp
Cayenne 1/8tsp
Nutmeg 1/4tsp

Combine the salt and spices thoroughly.
Mix spice blend into ground pork until thoroughly combined.

2 whole squab, cleaned, head and legs removed, breasts kept on crown
4 + 1 sprig of rosemary
4-6 leaves of sage
4 cloves of garlic
Cracked black pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter
kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Pull your squab out of the refrigerator while the oven heats, allowing it to temper a bit.
While you wait, tie a bouquet of your 4 sprigs of rosemary and sage with some butcher’s twine, making it easier to pull out of the bird when it is finished. Stuff the squab with the bouquet and season the skin with kosher salt.
When the oven is heated, place the small bird on a resting rack and sheet tray lined with parchment paper and place it in the oven for about 6-8 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches about 125-130°F.
Pull out the bird and let it rest.
While it rests, bring a stainless-steel sauté pan to medium heat.
Once heated, place the bird on the pan with your butter, garlic, and remaining rosemary and allow the butter to start to bubble up.
When your butter starts to bubble. Use a spoon to baste the butter over the skin of the breast and legs until they turn golden brown. The key to this is to keep the butter bubbling, and don’t allow it to burn. Too much heat and it can burn, too little and you’ve just got hot butter.
Now that your skin is golden brown, rest the bird for a few minutes while you plate up the rest of the dish.

Swedish Sauce

2Tbls
Flour 3Tbls
Beef stock 2c
Heavy cream 1c
Worcestershire 2tsp
Black pepper 1/2tsp
Dijon mustard 3/4tsp
Salt to taste

melt butter in a small sauce pan.
Add flour to melted butter and cook until it smells toasted.
Slowly, whisk in beef stock to the roux until smooth.
Whisk in cream until thoroughly combined.
Whisk in remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cut the heat.

Butter 2Tbls
Flour 3Tbls
Beef stock 2c
Heavy cream 1c
Worcestershire 2tsp
Black pepper 1/2tsp
Dijon mustard 3/4tsp
Salt to taste

Melt butter in a small sauce pan.
Add flour to melted butter and cook until it smells toasted.
Slowly, whisk in beef stock to the roux until smooth.
Whisk in cream until thoroughly combined.
Whisk in remaining ingredients and season to taste.
Bring to a simmer and cut the heat.

Pie assembly:

Set the oven to 350F.
Grab the smallest muffin pan or silicone mold you have that would be perfect for mini pies.
Roll your rested pie dough into a flat sheet.
Cut the dough sheet into squares big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the mold you have chosen. Push the dough into the molds and cut off any excess dough. Refrigerate the formed pie shells for an hour.
Place the pie shells into the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 mins, making sure that the pie shells are cooked enough to keep their shape.
Scoop the medisterpolse sausage into the pie shells and return to the oven for another 10 mins.
Pull pies from the oven and spoon some Swedish sauce over the sausage and return to the oven for 10 mins.
Pull pies and allow to rest for 20 minutes before removing from the molds.
Garnish the pies with micro greens, herbs, or grilled onions.
Serve the pies slightly warm or at room temp with the remaining Swedish sauce on the side for dipping.

Pie assembly:

Set the oven to 350F.
Grab the smallest muffin pan or silicone mold you have that would be perfect for mini pies.
Roll your rested pie dough into a flat sheet.
Cut the dough sheet into squares big enough to cover the bottom and sides of the mold you have chosen. Push the dough into the molds and cut off any excess dough. Refrigerate the formed pie shells for an hour.
Place the pie shells into the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-15 mins, making sure that the pie shells are cooked enough to keep their shape.
Scoop the medisterpolse sausage into the pie shells and return to the oven for another 10 mins.
Pull pies from the oven and spoon some Swedish sauce over the sausage and return to the oven for 10 mins.
Pull pies and allow to rest for 20 minutes before removing from the molds.
Garnish the pies with micro greens, herbs, or grilled onions.
Serve the pies slightly warm or at room temp with the remaining Swedish sauce on the side for dipping.