French Regional Sausages

It seems that every region of France has its own sausages, with picturesque names whose origin has long since been lost, but the character and identity of the sausages still intact. French sausages can be divided into several main categories: saucisses, saucissons sees, andouilles and andouillettes, and boudins. Saucisses, what we call sausages, are filled with raw meat and flavorings and are meant to be cooked within a few days of being stuffed. Saucissons sees are the equivalent to our salami, essentially sausages that have been hung to dry and age so the meat hardens and continues to develop flavor. The meat is never actually cooked, but is cured in the same way as prosciutto or salami, and can be eaten raw. Andouilles and andouillettes differ from one another primarily in size—andouilles are made with the hog’s large intestines, andouillettes from the small. For the most part they are stuffed with tripe and sold already cooked and often smoked so they can be eaten cold, like salami; or they can be braised, broiled, or grilled and be served with potatoes or purées of beans, onions, or other vegetables. Andouilles and andouillettes are made all over France. Troyes, Nancy, and even Lourdes (where they make an andouillette shaped like a rosary) claim to make the best. French gourmets indulge in vehement debates about the merits of each and have even created a club, the AAAAA (Association Amicale d’Amateurs d’Authentiques Andouillettes). Boudins, except for boudins blancs, are blood sausages made from the blood of a just-killed pig combined with cubes of fat. Like andouilles, boudins are poached as soon as they are made to preserve them and so they can be eaten cold (we ate them at dawn with our coffee where I picked grapes), but are more typically served grilled or sautéed, often with apples.