Recipes

Homemade Black Pudding

Scott Rea

For the enthusiastic home cook there is often nothing more satisfying than making your own Black Pudding…

Homemade Black Pudding Recipe

Makes approx. 4 Black Pudding Rings

Scott Rea, an award-winning butcher with over 30 years experience and host of of the ever popular Butchery & Cooking channel The Scott Rea Project, shares his expertise in showing us how to prepare your own Homemade Black Pudding.

Ingredients

200g pearl barley, cooked, drained & cooled
200g groats (mixed cereal grains)
250g diced pork back fat
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 litre fresh pig’s blood (if available) ** or powdered pig’s blood (hydrated to volume as per the product instructions)
Spice Mix *
10g salt
5g white pepper
5g sage
5g mace
5g ground coriander
Natural sausage casings (which you need to soak overnight beforehand)

* If you are attempting the recipe for the first time it is advisable to stick with the suggested seasoning. However, if you are comfortable using spices you may want to create your own blend to suit personal preference.

Method

In a large saucepan, cook the pearl barley for approx. 1 hour until tender, then leave to cool and drain thoroughly.
In a large saucepan, cook the groats for approx. 1 hour until tender, then leave to cool and drain thoroughly.
Sweat the diced fat with the finely chopped onion for 5 minutes on a low heat and leave to cool.
Sieve the pig's blood, into a large container, to remove any clots.
Add the back fat, onion, pearl barley, groats and spice mix to the blood and mix thoroughly - the consistency is key, not too liquid nor too much filler.
Spoon the mixture into the sausage cases, squeeze down until tight and tie off with butchers’ twine - do not overfill, try to ensure the filling is evenly distributed in the casing and there are no air pockets, as they may split during cooking.
Bring a large pan filled with two-thirds of unsalted water to the boil and then turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer. Add each pudding to the water - if cooked at too high a temperature the puddings may also split.
Prick the puddings occasionally with a needle to check if they are done - no blood should be coming out. This should take about 20 minutes. Leave the puddings to cool.

Further Information

** The biggest issue with making your own black pudding is sourcing the animal blood. The easiest way is to buy dried blood powder from a reputable supplier e.g. Weschenfelder (who also supply casings) – you simply hydrate the powder using water.

The supply of fresh blood in the UK is highly regulated and it is not always readily available. Our suggestion is to contact your local abattoir for supply options and further information.
The use of fresh blood results in a creamier texture to your Black Pudding and it is worth the effort to acquire as your raw ingredient.

Useful Links

Other Scott Rea ‘Masterclass’ videos you may find of interest:

BlackPudding.Club Recipes for creating dishes with your homemade Black Pudding.

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