British Black Pudding (blood cake, boudin noir)

[chefteddy]

British Black Pudding (blood cake, boudin noir)

Serves 12 as Appetizeror 8 as Main Dish.

I grew up with this stuff. I was charging it down before I even knew what it was. Then I found out, and I wanted to eat it even more. After moving to New York from London, I couldn't find any black pudding anywhere, so I decided I should make my own.

*Based on John Desmond's recipe, from Oakes and Mazzola's 'Boulevard' cookbook, with a few tweaks.

• 1 T olive oil
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 3 cloves of garlic
  
• 2 T Calvados
  
• 1 tsp each of mustard, fennel and cumin seeds
  
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
  
• 1 crumbled bay leaf
  
• tsp ground black pepper
  
• 1 lb in total, of pork meat and fat - I used 1/4 lb of chilled streaky bacon and 3/4 lb of ground pork
  
• 1-1/2 c fresh pigs blood
  
• 1-1/4 c in total, of cereals - I used 1 1/4 cup cooked white rice
  
• 1 c mixed fresh herbs - I used sage, tarragon, parsley, thyme, Cuban oregano.
  
• 1 T Maldon sea salt
  
• 1 T unsalted butter
  
• 1 large beaten egg
  
• 1 c apple sauce/caramelized apples
  
• 1/2 c finely chopped dried apricots
  

Sweat the onion and garlic in the oil for a few minutes until soft and add the Calvados. Cover, and cook for about 20 mins on low heat, taking care not to brown the onions. Allow to cool and reserve. Take the fennel, mustard and cumin seeds, bay leaf and red pepper flakes and warm in a skillet over a low flame until they release some of their aromas. Allow to cool, whizz in a spice blender with the bay leaf until powdery, add the paprika and reserve. Chop the bacon into the smallest pieces you can , and add to the ground pork in a bowl. Combine with all the other ingredients and mix very well for a few minutes with a spoon or your hands if you're brave. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Put the mixture into the terrine dish, cover tightly with foil and then into a large hotel pan. Add boiling water until it come 2/3 of the way up the terrine dish, and back for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the ban marie, and allow to cool for 2 hours, before refrigerating overnight.

I eat it for breakfast, as part of the Full English, for lunch with cold ham in a salad, or for dinner with mashed spuds, caramelised apples.

Keywords: British

( RG1983 )