Austen Family Cooks/Recipe: Sauerkraut Balls

This is the most-requested appetizer we make--especially when my Aunt Lauree prepares them. When I was a little girl, it was a treat to roll the balls into the bread crumbs. My fingers always became yellow-coated with egg yolk before swelling to three times their slender size with bread-crumb residue. While it is not season-specific, it seems to surge in popularity during the colder months. This weekend is the perfect time to make sauerkraut balls, as Winter takes its last, extinguishing gasp.

SAUERKRAUT BALLS

1/2 pound bulk sausage

1/4 cup onion, chopped 14-ounce can of sauerkraut, drained and snipped

2 Tablespoons bread crumbs (not fine)

3 ounces cream cheese

2 Tablespoons parsley

1 teaspoon mustard

1 dash garlic salt

1 dash pepper

2 eggs, well beaten

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup bread crumbs (not fine)

Flour for coating

Brown sausage and onion;drain. Add sauerkraut and bread crumbs to sausage mixture. Combine remaining ingredients and add to sauerkraut mixture. Chill. Shape into balls and coat with flour. Roll the balls into a mixture of eggs and milk; and then into 3/4 cup bread crumbs. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown.

Painting:La jeune cuisiniere by Francois Moreau