Usually when we go to Doug’s it is a grand experience where everyone in my group just raves about the sausage and we can discuss and break them down like a book or a fine wine.  Also we typically rave about the flavors, texture and the overall experience.  Today was a bit different.  The sausage that I chose today was the Calvados-Infused Smoked Duck Sausage with Blood Orange Mustard and St. Pete’s Blue Cheese drizzled with Honey.  Breaking it down I really enjoyed the sausage portion, the Blood orange mustard had a bit of a hint of citrus with the honey providing a reminder of sweetness.  Usually the cheeses served are pretty good.  Usually the blue cheeses that Doug gets are very sharp and often are the dominant flavor.  This batch however was a bit off.  It wasn’t the usually potency but rather a dry cheese and it really detracted from the flavor of the sausage.

I think that I would have really enjoyed this sausage if it was served with a different cheese, or even some of the St. Pete’s that was a bit fresher, maybe I just didn’t luck out and got a hunk off the end but in this case the cheese really ruined the party for me.

Overall since we have started this blog this has been my least favorite sausage and I’m going to give it a straight 4 out of 10 on the Doug’s scale.  Which is unfortunate because this sausage really had a lot going for it.  Who knows I may give it another chance the next time that it cycles around.

The sausage that I had for lunch today at Hot Doug’s was the Brandy-Infused Portuguese Chorizo with Saffron Rouille and 12-Month Montelarreina Cheese.   I was expecting the Portuguese Chorizo to be similar in flavor and spicy like the Mexican Chorizo that I am familiar with but the Portuguese variety was a bit smoother and had an almost creamy texture similar to the Portuguese Linguica.  The Chorizo had a bit of spice to it, not so much as it was overpowering as it was mild but you did notice it.  Complimenting the sausage was a Saffron Rouille.  A Rouille sauce usually consists of olive oil, breadcrumbs, garlic along with some chili peppers for heat.  This sauce had a bit of Saffron added which turned the sauce into a shade of yellow that I would usually associate with a mustard.  Like I described the sausage as having an almost creamy texture the Rouille sauce enhanced that effect with a creamy texture of its own.  Topping the sausage was a 12-Month Montelarreina Cheese.  I’ll be the first one to admit that I have no idea of what
Montelarreina Cheese is but it is a hard cheese which to me tastes a
bit like Parmesan cheese except a bit milder.   Like a lot of the cheeses served on sausages this one was there for enhancement of the total flavor and wasn’t meant to take center stage.

Overall I enjoyed the Brandy-Infused Portuguese Chorizo and while not my favorite sausage of all time at Hot Doug’s I think that this one has a lot of merit if you’re looking for something a bit milder with a more complex flavor.  I think that I will give this sausage a 5.5 on the top scale.  While 5.5 doesn’t seem very high for a sauage that I really enjoy I am comparing a Hot Doug’s sausage to other Hot Doug’s sausages so they must be compared critically.  One of these days I’ll put together a post explaining my rating system.  If you think of something to use as a visual rating let me know in the comments below.