Blood For Breakfast? Fear Not!
The English breakfast is a massive undertaking. While its exact composition varies across the British Isles, ordering a full fry-up will get usually you bacon, eggs, sausages, potatoes, baked beans, mushrooms, tomato, and toast, at a minimum. And on this piled-high plate sits the brekker’s most notorious member—thick slices of black pudding. Translation? Blood sausage. Good morning, indeed.
I’d lived in London for several months before I first tasted black pudding. The idea of blood sausage had never appealed to me, and since I cooked for myself in my little flat kitchen, I hadn’t yet confronted the full-on breakfast. Until I visited an Irish friend, that is. He opened his refrigerator one morning to find it nearly empty. “All I have are eggs and things. Is that all right?”
To my American mind, eggs followed by “and things” means: bacon. Maybe toast. But ten minutes later, I was handed a plate of eggs, sausage, and thick, dark rounds of black pudding. Ah, yes. Blood for breakfast. I’d known about black pudding, sure—known that traditional restaurants or old Scottish grandmums might try to sneak it on my plate. But a 20-something city-living bachelor kept it on hand? Maybe this stuff was more than just a novelty.
So as a polite guest, I gingerly bit into a piece. And to my great surprise, it was delicious. Meaty, sweetly spicy, studded with barley and oats. It wasn’t nearly as strong or gamey as I thought—it didn’t taste tangy or, well, bloody at all. Hearty and warm, it settled nicely in my stomach, like a good breakfast should.
The Fry-Up
Cooking black pudding is easy. Finding it in the States is not. But New Yorkers can pick up ready-made rolls from Myers of Keswick in the West Village, and those without a British specialty store around can order it online.
The black pudding comes in a shrink-wrapped roll, like a sausage or liverwurst. Unlike a sausage, however, it has no casing; loose and crumbly, it should be handled with care. To prepare, cut half-inch slices from the roll. Heat a bit of oil in a pan, and carefully lay the pudding slices in the hot oil. Let cook for two or three minutes on each side. The slices will grow slightly crispy and much darker. Like a crab cake, each patty holds together much better when cooked.
So this American girl is one black pudding convert. Would you eat blood for breakfast?
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34 Comments:
I have the stomach and mindset of a child with some foods... black pudding/blood sausage will never pass these lips.
Southern_bella at 8:32AM on 11/17/08
I'd honestly love to try it. I mean, meat is the muscle and has/had blood in it, blood pudding is just the next step- that said, if it's pig's blood I'll pass.
comicsan at 8:46AM on 11/17/08
I would try it!
meg3j at 8:59AM on 11/17/08
My grandfather (originally from Scotland), use to eat "black pudding" all the time. During my childhood visits, I would have some with him (not knowing what it was) and though it wasn't as good as bacon (what is?), I enjoyed it. Until I found out what it was.
I've thought of trying it again, until I read a description of how it's made. Now I'm not sure again.
Ignorance is bliss, people!
AmazonGoddess at 9:06AM on 11/17/08
If what is essentially the amniotic fluid of chickens can become such a widely eaten breakfast food, blood pudding's fair game!
JH4285 at 9:14AM on 11/17/08
Had it in Ireland this year...I'm open game to anything however it wasn't very good.
davey at 9:15AM on 11/17/08
i'd give it a try
dozertx at 9:35AM on 11/17/08
I would try it and probably like it, but I was raised to give everything a fair taste, and the Filipino cuisine I was raised on (including a blood stew called dinuguan) gave me ample opportunities to get over any squeamishness I might otherwise have developed. For that, I'm totally grateful. =)
OneWallKitchen at 9:52AM on 11/17/08
I love it, especially when it's fresh out of the butcher. They serve it from stalls in a market in my hometown (Belo Horizonte, Brasil) fried with a bitter vegetable called jiló and thinly sliced onions. It's heavenly.
But if you talked about eating it for breakfast there, people would think you are insane, drunk or both.
Blip at 10:10AM on 11/17/08
I actually think it tastes a little like vegan sausage in that it's a little dry, light, and crumbly and has more of a spice than meat flavor. I wouldn't buy it, but if it's on an Irish breakfast plate, I'll eat it. Give it a shot!
ReneeRobinson at 10:24AM on 11/17/08
Your post talked me into maybe trying blood pudding, which has always slightly disgusted me. I guess it's just the name--if they called it "sausage with a kick" I bet Americans would be lining up to give it a try!
Linnea Covington at 10:30AM on 11/17/08
I'd certainly try it. I've eaten andouillette in France, which I believe is a type of blood sausage, unlike Cajun andouille. I've also had the pleasure of eating liver mush in North Carolina, which I found to be very tasty.
1stmakearoux at 10:32AM on 11/17/08
In Puerto Rico, blood sausage is called morcilla, and it's made with pork blood and rice. I've eaten it on occasion, and have no objection on principle, but this stuff is truly awful. It's on the very short list of foods I won't eat.
Don Luis at 10:51AM on 11/17/08
In Guyana, S.America (think more English speaking Caribbean than Latin American) we call this black pudding, and is made with cow's blood, rice and--here's the important difference--a boat load of seasoning, thyme, garlic, onion, a tonne of pepper. It's eaten at sort of brunches or as a cutter, somethign to munch on while drinking and is generally dipped in a hot mango chutney of sorts. I ADORE it, but think that because it's so tasty and has a bit of a bite to it, I wouldn't do so well with the blander English version
The Barbadians make it with mashed potatoes...THAT is disgusting.
BananaMonkey at 11:01AM on 11/17/08
@BananaMonkey:
A Trinidadian here, I know exactly what you're talking about. Now that I live in the States, I eat those blander versions, but they just sort of remind me of home.
islandchild at 11:23AM on 11/17/08
My dad (German) loved blood sausage. I liked the aroma, but would never try it. Considering that I'm now nearly as old as my Dad was when he died, I don't think I'll be trying it!
IndyGal at 11:26AM on 11/17/08
Maybe there's something wrong with me but in all my trips to the UK, the black pudding was my favorite part of the English breakfast.
NorthernBBQer at 11:57AM on 11/17/08
It's yummy! So is white pudding, which is also often in a full English fry-up.
I don't know why people turn their noses up to it when they'll eat a medium, medium-rare, or rare steak or hamburger. Blood is the juiciness factor of the steak, and because it's not well done, that blood isn't fully cooked. In the black pudding, the blood gets fully cooked.
You can also find black pudding (morcilla I believe it's called) in Argentinian churrascarias or Latin American groceries (it's at the local Publix in South Florida). They have a version that is also very popular.
jayevee at 12:30PM on 11/17/08
Despana in NYC has a great morcilla.
ECA at 12:55PM on 11/17/08
My roommate's Swedish girlfriend used to cut up the Swedish version of blood sausage and eat it cold, slice by slice, right out of the tube. She offered up a taste but sadly, I declined. She didn't understand my apprehension at all. Of course I was embarrassed but never ended up trying it. I'm not sure if I ever saw it prepared for breakfast, though. Maybe the Swedes just eat it like salami?
JustNancy at 1:09PM on 11/17/08
It was my understanding that the quintessential difference between an Irish and English breakfast is the black and white pudding, which only accompanies the Irish breakfast. Well, so says the Irish when I lived there for a year...and I've eaten it but not crazy about it. Love white pudding though.
kimbodian at 1:17PM on 11/17/08
I consider it a "When in Rome" type of food.
In Ireland? England? Yeah, I ate it. But back in Pittsburgh, I'm not about to go out of my way to find it.
kwhit at 1:17PM on 11/17/08
jayevee- there isnt actual blood left in a steak. the cow should be fully bled when butchered. i just looked it up on several websites cuz i kinda freaked out- i dont eat blood for religious reasons but i do like a medium rare steak.
tamariga at 1:55PM on 11/17/08
I've wanted to try this for a long time! I saw a British store around here the other day, I have to check it out!
O_Leaozinho at 2:17PM on 11/17/08
Absolutely, and I'd probably love it, too.
Unfortunately I'd be the only one eating it in this house. Not that my family aren't used to blood and offal (we're Chinese, we already eat blood, and not even cut with grains/meat, either.) But the fact that it isn't Chinese might mean it will sit in the fridge untouched.
Then again, maybe blood pudding has a flavor profile that appeals to Chinese palates?
fuuchan at 2:30PM on 11/17/08
I'd try it, and probably like it, but the thought of it gives me a small case of the creeps.
Laurel E at 2:30PM on 11/17/08
After I took the plunge and tried boudin noir (french blood sausage) my mind was made up and I became an instant convert. Now I have a stash in my freezer at all times.
estepcha at 4:15PM on 11/17/08
I only recently realized that the salchichon my Spanish host mom got me totally addicted to - I even made some by hand once, with her brother the farmer - was blood sausage. I love the stuff, and wish I could get it here more easily. It's fantastic just cooked up and put on a simple torta or bolillo for lunch.
omglawdork at 6:24PM on 11/17/08
I've been to london, and I always try to have a traditional breakfast at least once during my trip. I've never tried blood sausage though. I'd consider it, but I am wary... I harbor a very strong dislike of scrapple and I'm afraid it would be too similar. My favorite component of a good English breakfast happens to be HP sauce :)
agk685 at 7:33PM on 11/17/08
i had blood pudding only when i couldn't refuse it from the very hospitable family that cooked for us. our irish mom crumbled it into some lettuce to make it less conspicuous. honestly...i had trouble swallowing each bite.
evalunatik at 9:16PM on 11/17/08
My first experience with blood pudding was on a flight from Manchester to Edinburgh following a sleepless (because I like to look out the window) transatlantic crossing. I wasn't sure what it was, but my more squeemish companion knew what it was and didn't want it. I loved it! I ate mine and hers too!
Tonecat at 10:36PM on 11/17/08
I had fresh-grilled morcilla while visiting a friend's family in Puerto Rico -- it was dark, & we were outside, so I had no idea that the sausage I was eating was "special" except that it was delicious. thus, my theoretical aversion to blood sausage was dispelled before I could really think about it. I've had it a few times since then, & it really does have a tasty, unique flavor. sometimes it's best not to think too hard about the composition of certain foods. :)
courtguerra at 11:17AM on 11/18/08
My grandma used to make blood sausage. Butcher a cow (or pig), save the blood, make sausage. Use everything. Makes sense, and I feel much better about eating blood sausage than foie gras or veal. Plus, it's yummy.
blackwdw at 12:25PM on 11/18/08
I have been dying to try it for some time. No chance locally, but next time I'm overseas - bring it on!
tatianak at 1:32PM on 11/18/08