Free Sausage by Victoria Wise

shiitake slices in a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. When the broth just begins to boil, drop in as many wontons as will fit without crowding and cook until they rise to the top, 3 to 4 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the wontons to a plate and repeat with the remaining wontons.
    When all the wontons are cooked, stir the watercress into the simmering broth and return the wontons to the pan. Reheat gently, then ladle into individual bowls and serve right away.

    Porcupine Meatballs with Rice Quills and Hot-Sweet Mustard

Porcupine Meatballs with Rice Quills and Hot-Sweet Mustard
    These small sausage balls, with their rice “quills” poking outward, are a dream for entertaining. They can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 2 days before cooking to serve warm. The green tea leaves season the sausage with an exotic savor, and a side plate of hot-sweet mustard, soy sauce, and Asian sesame oil for dipping, all out of a jar or bottle, suffice to complete the dish’s charm. Although the meatballs have a pedigree in Chinese cuisine made with glutinous, or sweet, rice, I prefer to use regular rice.
    If you don’t have a bamboo steamer basket, a plate lined with lettuce leaves can substitute. The trick here is to rig up something, such as an empty can in the bottom of the pot, to elevate the plate above the water. Covering the pot will allow enough steam to collect around the plate for the balls to cook.
    MAKES ABOUT 30 APPETIZER-SIZE BALLS
    Sausage
    1 cup short-, medium-, or long-grain white rice
    1 teaspoon loose green tea leaves, any kind
    1 tablespoon boiling water
    1 pound ground pork
    ¼ cup finely chopped scallions, mostly light green parts
    1 tablespoon soy sauce
    1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
    1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
    ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    ⅓ cup hot-sweet mustard
    2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
    ¼ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
    To make the sausage, soak the rice in water to cover for 45 minutes. Drain in a colander, shake dry, and spread on a plate.
    In a small cup, steep the tea in the boiling water for 3 minutes. When cool, combine the leaves and water with the pork, scallions, soy sauce, ginger, cilantro, white pepper, and salt in a medium bowl, and knead with your hands until thoroughly blended. Form the sausage into small balls, using about 1 tablespoon for each ball. Roll each ball in the rice, pressing the grains into the ball so they adhere. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
    To cook the meatballs, line a bamboo steamer basket with lettuce leaves. Set the meatballs, without crowding them, on the lettuce. Select a wok that the steamer basket will fit in or a pot the same diameter as the basket so that the basket will rest firmly on the rim. Pour in water to a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil over high heat. Set the steamer basket in the wok or on top of the pot, cover the basket or pot, and steam until the meatballs are no longer pink at the center and the rice is tender, about 25 minutes.
    To serve, spread the mustard in the center of a small plate. Swirl the soy sauce on one side of the mustard and pool the sesame oil on the other. Serve the meatballs in the bamboo steamer or transfer them to a platter. Offer toothpicks for picking up the meatballs and dipping them into the mustard mixture on the plate.
    Southeast Asian Pork and Lemongrass Sausage
    Lemongrass, a key ingredient in Vietnamese and Thai cooking, contributes a clean, citrusy taste and fragrance to dishes, such as in this Southeast Asian sausage, where it lightens the bold seasoning. Only the pale, tender inside of the bottom part of the lemongrass stalk is used. To prepare lemongrass cut off and discard the long, thin, gray-green leafy tops and trim away the root end. Peel away the stiff, outer leaves down to the tender core. Slice the core into very thin rounds or chop finely.
    MAKES 1 POUND
    14 ounces ground pork
    2