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Dirty South Sausage Balls

12:27 PM CDT on Thursday, November 1, 2007

DIRTY SOUTH SAUSAGE BALLS

2 pounds bulk pork breakfast sausage (half mild and half spicy)
½ pound softened cream cheese
¼ cup snipped chives (or substitute green onions)
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs), or unseasoned dried bread crumbs
2 sheets of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed (1 pound)
Scallions for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F.

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In large bowl, combine pork sausage, cream cheese, chives, cayenne, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Fold bread crumbs into meat-cheese mixture until fully combined. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls.

Wrap a 1 ½ -inch square of puff pastry around each ball, stretching to cover. Pinch seams to seal. Place seam-side down on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with chopped or julienned scallions. Makes about 24 small balls.

To freeze: Freeze unbaked balls. Bake them (still frozen) at 375 F for about 17 to 20 minutes, or until browned.

SOURCE: Executive chef Blythe Beck, Hector's on Henderson

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