Restaurateurs are still intent on putting beef patties inside brioche. I still do not understand why.
Beef does not want or need sugar when it is a burger – eating one is supposed to be the most savoury of circumstances.
Also, brioche is too soft and flimsy to support the dish, slathered in mustard and ketchup as it is; its practicality is lost and flavours of gherkin and American processed cheese are dulled. Such a shame.
Sausages, on the other hand, nestle comfortably in brioche, because they are made of pork, a meat which revels in sweetness.
All the better when the sausages are French – ah, saucisson – and salt and smokiness join buttery French bread for an invigorating time in the mouth.
In this recipe, Frenchie’s Grégory Marchand uses Morteau sausages from Franche-Comté, a region also home to socialist cheese – farmers, cheesemakers, and affineurs all get an equal cut of profits – and vin jaune wine. Authentic Morteau sausages are still smoked in traditional pyramidal chimneys, called tuyés, and are strong in flavour and depth and dense in texture.
A perfect match, then, for delicate brioche. Marchand pairs the two in a juicy and generous terrine. It is an excellent starter when hosting guests, and especially good now the weather’s getting cold.
Makes six saucisson brioche buns
Ingredients:
For the buns:
1kg T65 flour
100g Fresh yeast
150g Sugar
500g Eggs and fermented milk
25g Fine salt
500g Butter
Saucisson:
Six Morteau sausages
Salad:
Green lettuce salad of your choice
Meat juice
Mustard vinaigrette (olive oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper)
Mustard
Butter
Method:
Buns:
Mix all the ingredients together in a food processor (using a hook attachment) until the dough makes a ball.
Roll the dough into a ball and put it in a greased bowl. Let it stand for one night.
Sausages:
Place sausages in boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove the skin. Cook the sausages at 190°c in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the sausages and bake for another 10 minutes. Let them cool completely.
For six terrines:
Make egg wash (egg yolk and cream mixed together; can use water or milk instead of the cream)
Divide the brioche dough into six. Spread to a thickness of about 4cm.
Cover the dough with egg wash.
Cover a sausage with egg wash too, coat with flour and lay on the dough. Coat the sausage with the dough and place the opening towards the bottom in a well-greased terrine.
Continue the same for the other five sausages. Cover the buns with food film. Let it swell.
Cooking:
Preheat the oven to 170°c, brown the top of the buns, bake for 20 minutes. Turn the terrines and bake for another 10 minutes.
Test the temperature inside the brioche (should be around 82 °C – 85°C). Take them out if it reaches right temperature. Remove the buns from the terrines immediately. Allow to cool before cutting.
Serving:
Cut a slice of brioche sausage, butter it and warm it on the griddle.
Place the slice on the plate, with the seasoned salad, the meat juice and the mustard on top.
Serve mustard vinaigrette on the side
