by Paul Kribs » Mon Jun 13, 2005 6:03 am
Grant
I used Hog casings. It was my own fault with the skins splitting, a bit of bad judgement.
The fat content was halved as I have been dieting, my cholesterol was sky-high and also was adivsed to cut out fat (and everything else that I enjoy) by the diabetic nurse. My father in law also has to cut out fat.
I have a couple of Black Pudding recipes which I come across, I cannot vouch for them as I have not tried them.
Black Pudding Recipe
Assuming you have the blood a basic recipe is.
Ingredients
2 litres blood
Casings, beef runners or large hog casings (optional)
3 onions, finely chopped
1 kg of suet or diced pork fat (back fat or bacon fat)
500ml double cream
500g oatmeal, soaked overnight in water)
500g barley, boiled in water for 30 minutes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon mixed herbs or ground coriander
1 teaspoon black pepper or cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground mace
Method
Soften the onions in a quarter of the fat, make sure that they do not colour. Add the rest of the fat and leave to slowly sweat for 10 minutes
Add the oatmeal and cream and cook for a few minutes
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir over a gentle heat for 5 minutes
If you are using skins, these can now be filled and sealed with two knots. The puddings can then be poached in barely simmering water for 5 � 10 minutes. Splitting is common, to avoid this prick the puddings with a needle and cook on the lowest possible simmer (better to cook them very, very slowly then to lose them). Any pudding which floats to the top should also be pricked, they are cooked when brown liquid comes out. They can then be drained and kept in a fridge for 1 � 2 weeks
An easier method is to bake the pudding in an ovenproof tin, and cook in a bain marie (by standing the tin in a larger tin half filled with water) in a low oven (160 degree or gas mark 2) for 1 � 2 hours. Make sure that the mixture has started to thicken and coat your stirring spoon before pouring into the tin and stir well first (this should ensure that the ingredients are evenly mixed). You can then cut slices and fry or bake.
Black Pudding From Scratch (English)
Recipe Serves: 6
Recipes Ingredients:
1 1/4 qt Fresh pig s blood
8 oz Fine oatmeal
8 7/8 oz Bread cut into cubes
1 ts Salt
1 1/4 qt Skim milk
2 ts Ground black pepper
1 lb Cooked barley
2 ts Dried and crumbled mint
1 lb Fresh beef suet
Recipe Instructions:
Put the bread cubes to soak in the milk in a warm oven. Do not heat the milk beyond blood temperature! Have the blood ready in a large bowl, and pour the warm milk and bread into it. Stir in the cooked barley. Grate the beef suet into the mixture and stir it up with the oatmeal. Season with the salt, pepper and mint. Have ready 2 or three large roasting pans. Divide the mixture between them ~- they should not be more than 3/4 full. Bake in a moderate oven -- 350 F ~- for about an hour or until the pudding is well cooked through. This makes a beautifully light pudding which will keep well in a cold larder. Cut into squared and fry till heated through and the outside is crisp, in bacon fat or butter.
Black Pudding (Irish)
Recipe Serves: 8
Recipes Ingredients:
1 lb Pig s liver
1 Medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 lb Unrendered lard, chopped
1 ts Salt
120 fl Pig s blood
1/2 ts Allspice
2 lb Breadcrumbs
1 Beef casings
4 oz Oatmeal
Recipe Instructions:
Servings: 8 (Always served with an Irish "fry". The preparation of this pudding may be impractical these days due to the difficulty of procuring fresh pig's blood.) . Stew liver in boiling salted water until tender. Remove liver, and mince. Reserve cooking liquor. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Stir thoroughly until blended. Fill casings with mixture. Tie off in one-foot loops. Steam for 4-5 hours. Leave until cold. Cut into 1/2 inch slices as required and fry in hot fat on both sides until crisped.
Regards, Paul Kribs
I will dedicate the Reber to 'sausage making only'. If the next lot of puddings come out OK I will post a pic on my site, it won't be for a few weeks though.