Real Vermont Cooking

INGREDIENTS 10 each duck legs 2 pounds pork butt, boneless 3 ounces vodka 5 basil leaves Salt and pepper Sausage skins Directions: Bone and cut duck legs with 1/2 the fat to fine dice. Grind pork with fat through grinder, 1/8-inch diameter. Chop basil fine. Put meat, vodka, basil, salt and pepper in mixer with paddle, mix until combined. Check seasonings. Clean skins in cold running water inside and out. Use sausage stuffer on mixer and feed about 4 feet of sausage, tie sausage of size desired. Let hang in cooler for 2 days, cook on grill until golden brown.

Ingredients 2 c heavy cream 2 lbs. high quality bittersweet chocolate, small pieces 1/4 bourbon or other liquor Optional whipped cream for topping Heat the cream in a double boiler until warm to the touch. Add chocolate and stir constantly until smooth and melted. Refrigerate the ganache until it sets. Remove 3/4 of the ganache to a strong mixer. With the paddle attachment, slowly beat the mixture while adding the bourbon. As the mixture whips, it begins to soften. Stop often and scrape. As the mixture softens, increase the speed to medium. The mixture will lighten, then begin to thicken again. Stop at this point to avoid a grainy texture. Press the mixture into a film lined 9″ cake pan and remove any air at the corners. Refrigerate about an hour. Invert the cake onto a serving dish, rewarm (don’t get it hot, it will melt the cake) the remaining ganache and drip it over the cake. Refrigerate again for service.