Black Pudding and White Pudding
Irish black pudding and white pudding are such a mainstay in Irish breakfasts that they would not be complete without them.
Pork flesh, fat, and blood are used to make black pudding, which is then combined with suet, barley, and oats to make a flavorful sausage. White pudding, on the other hand, resembles black pudding but is devoid of blood.
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh pig's blood; 2 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 cups steel-cut (pinhead) oatmeal; 2 cups finely diced pork fat (or beef suet), finely chopped; 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 1 cup milk; 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease 2 glass loaf pans. (If you don't have glass loaf pans, line metal loaf pans with parchment to keep the blood sausage from reacting with the metal and creating an off-flavor). Stir 1 teaspoon of salt into the blood.
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil and stir in the oats. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until just tender, not mushy.
- Pour the blood through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Stir in the fat, onion, milk, pepper, allspice, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Add the oatmeal and mix to combine. Divide the mixture between the loaf pans, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour, until firm. Cool completely. Seal in plastic wrap and wither freeze for extended use or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To serve, cut a slice about 1/2-inch thick off the loaf. Fry in butter or oil until the edges are slightly crisped and browned.
