Eye of Newt, Blood of Pig: The black pudding variations
No, we’re not done with the pig’s blood just yet.
In fact, I’ve a feeling there could be 38 different dishes you can cook with Black Pudding. Thirty-eight at the very least.
Not that I plan on naming them all here.
In fact, I’ll just mention two or three.
First off: Chopper’s Lancashire Hotpot. He made this one on the Saturday after the black pudding was done and served it to unsuspecting guests. The guests were quite pleased and went back to the kitchen for seconds.
That Sunday morning, Chopper made a scramble with spinach, onion, more bits of black pudding, and the last remaining smidge of Lancashire Hotpot. It too was quite tasty, though it could have used something sweet to temper the spinach/onion/pig’s blood nexus.
Enter, apples. Inspired by denzylle’s comment on our Happy Entrails to You post, Chopper created a frittata wherein the black pudding mixed it up with tasty, crunchy bits of Granny Smith apple and the whole thing was topped with grated kasseri.
We declared it tasty and wolfed it down, thus ending Black Pudding Days at casa Belly Timber after only three dishes.
Only three? Surely there must be more!
Now, I’d offer up a challenge to see who can come up with the largest number of black pudding variations, but to be perfectly honest, after writing this post up I think I’m quite ready to move on from pig’s blood for at least a short while. So instead, because we’re never completely done with All Things British in these parts, and because we believe in extending all birthday celebrations at least a week and a half, your challenge (with a hat tip to Riba Rambles for the meme) is this:
Grab a pencil and paper and without looking at any resources, see if you can list all 38 (most commonly agreed upon) Shakespeare plays. And don’t give me any of that silly Francis Bacon really wrote them twaddle.
Mmm…. bacon.
Black pudding
Ingredients
- 1 pint Pig’s blood
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 1 Medium onion, diced small
- 1 ounce Steel cut oats
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Lavender pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Take a rinsed sausage casing (use hog casings) and tie one end closed.
- Attach the other end of the casing to a large funnel, and pour the filling into the casing. Make sure the casing doesn’t come off the funnel or your kitchen could soon look like a crime scene if you’re not careful.
- Work the casing so all the ingredients are evenly distributed along the filled length, then make sure there’s no air left inside before tying it closed.
- Place filled casing in an oven-safe dish and cover. Place the dish in a bigger pan with enough water to reach half-way up the sides of the dish.
- Put the pan in the oven for at least 1 1/2 hours, or until the black pudding is firm.
Lancashire Hotpot
Ingredients
- 1 pound Beef or lamb, cubed (I used eye of round)
- 1 Large onion, diced
- 6 Cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Medium sized carrots, chopped
- 5 Small potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
- 2 cups Beef or lamb broth
- 1/2 of the black pudding made from the above recipe, sliced
Method
- Preheat oven to 365 F.
- Brown the meat in a cast iron skillet, then add the onions and caramelize.
- Add the garlic, carrots, and black pudding and continue to sautée for another two to three minutes.
- Layer the sliced potatoes on top and add the broth.
- Cover and place in oven for one hour, then remove the cover and place a few pats of butter on top and continue to roast until the potatoes brown and the broth is reduced.
–Chopper
(End note: This post was written last week, but MizD’s woefully uncooperative digestive system has prevented her from thinking joyful thoughts about food for several days running. At this very moment, in fact, she is resisting the urge to gaze longingly at photos of dark chocolate.)
Me, me! I got it!!
1. A Connecticutt Yankee in King Arthur’s Court
2. My Fair Lady
3. um… Rent?
No, I don’t got it.
Everyone knows that shakespeare stole plays from Thomas Marlowe- Black pudding sounds delic!-
Shakespeare with a capitol S, ofc, that purgeorous pompus prick, kidding-
The Hotpot looks great, “Davey Warbucks”- gafaw! You know all your freinds are sayin’, ” If’n he spendin’ so much time at home, den why don’ he write?”
I think it was Christopher Marlowe… ;-)
I’m sorry I’ve been too tired to write, I’ll try and get back to it soon.
Thanks!
Oh, you crazy kids.
CC, don’t make me come down there and start a new list! (4. Oh, Brother Where Art Thou 5. Clueless 6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan 7. I Walked With a Zombie… )
Chopper Davey Peacepennies sez, “Warbucks?” Whuuuh? (And yeah, he’ll write. Soon as he finishes watching Stargate. Oh, wait. There’s another marathon on? Um. Never mind. :-))
yay! sounds great. i made some salami with a friend… it is still dessicating. fun with homemade sausage. DOn’t you think those salty casings would be fun to knit with?
Knitting… Sausage casings…
Do NOT give me any ideas!