METHOD

BLOOD & CASINGS
If you are collecting the blood from an abattoir/slaughter house it will need to be stirred while still warm to remove the ‘strings’ – natural clots that form as it cools. Some small abattoirs may do this for you. De-stringed blood can be kept in the fridge for up to 48 hours; or it can be frozen.

Soak the casings in cold water for an hour, then rinse them thoroughly. Put one end over the cold tap and flush out with water to remove all the salt. Cut into suitable lengths (about 40cm works well for one loop). Knot one end of each length and leave in a pile in a bowl of cold water.

BLOOD MIXTURE
Sieve the blood into a large clean bowl or bucket and stir in the salt, sugar, spices and alcohol. Warm the milk slightly, take off the heat, then add the oats and leave to soak.


Finely dice the fat, and put about a quarter of it to sweat in a large heavy stockpot that is big enough to contain all the ingredients. When the fat has run a little, add the onions and sweat very gently until soft but not coloured at all. Add the rest of the fat and sweat until the pieces are slightly translucent and more fat has run. Stir in the milk-soaked oats and the cream, then slowly pour in the seasoned blood, still stirring all the time, until it is thoroughly incorporated. The mixture will be very liquid!!

FILLING THE CASINGS
Take a length of casing and pull the unknotted end open end over the opening of the nozzle. Hold the casing in place with one hand and ladle the mixture into the funnel with the other. Have something handy to unclog the nozzle (I use a chopstick) as it may occasionally get blocked with pieces of fat. Fill over a clean bowl to catch any overflow. Don’t overfill, and leave a good 5–7cm at the top to tie a second knot in the casing. Tie the knot and place the Black Pudding gently on a large plate. Stir the mixture well before each filling to make sure the fat pieces are well distributed. Keep filling and tying until all the mixture, including the overspill, is used up.

COOKING THE BLACK PUDDING
Bring a large pan two-thirds full of unsalted water to the boil, then turn the heat down until the water has settled to the gentlest of simmers. Place 2 or 3 Black Puddings into the water. Wait patiently for them to return to a simmer, then after about 5 minutes’ prick the Black Pudding two or three times with a needle or pin. If a brown liquid comes out, they are cooked. If the liquid is still pink, put them back in the pan for a few more minutes. If at any point during the cooking, a Black Pudding floats to the top, prick it with the needle. This should prevent it bursting.

When they are done, remove from the pan and lower into a bowl of cold water. Leave for just a minute, then lay them on a cotton cloth to cool.

STORING

Cooked Black Puddings, once cool, should be wrapped in clingfilm (or better still, vac-packed) and stored in the fridge. In a properly cold fridge (4C or less) they will last for a fortnight – or a month if vac-packed. Unfortunately, they do not freeze well.


COOKING TO EAT