People—not just the Irish—have been eating blood puddings for centuries, in cultures all around the world. No Irish fry is truly complete without at least a slice of black and a slice of white pudding. And it's not just for breakfast anymore. Talented Irish chefs have found ways to incorporate it into salads and main dishes. Black pudding recipe vary wildly throughout Ireland; some include barley, breadcrumbs, and flour, but oatmeal is the old-fashioned thickener. Be sure it's steel-cut or pinhead oatmeal, and cook it until just tender. Individual nubs of oats should be visible in the final product. Store-bought versions will always be made in sausage casings, unlike this recipe, packed into a loaf pan.
It is far easier to buy black pudding ready-made, and there are lots of artisan producers making truly worthy black versions. But if you're able to come into possession of fresh pig's blood, you'll be all set to make this recipe. And if not—well, you'll know precisely what a good black pudding should contain.
Ingredients
Makes about 3 pounds
Preparation
Step 1
1 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.
Step 2
2 Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil and stir in the oats. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until just tender, not mushy.
Step 3
3 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 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.
Step 4
4 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.
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Reviews (18)
Back to TopA wet and bland recipe. While a set is possible, it's incredibly lacking in bulk filler ingredients and yields a very soft, slightly unpleasant texture, both when baked in a pan and poached in casings before frying. Requires so many revisions to fix that it isn't a functional recipe as it stands. Subsequently isn't like any black pudding I've ever experienced and I will not use this recipe again.
Anonymous
UK/US
9/7/2019
Well, I followed recipe exactly and it will not set up. Just a loaf pan full of hot slurry. Not what?
ralph.althouse7918
Seattle, WA
4/14/2017
I recommend switching oatmeal to buckwheat, which is much firmer and has more savory favor, adding small bits of garlic into the mix, also this pudding is much better in sausage casing. Normally vendors that sell pig's blood also sell the casing. My mom used large real intestines - it is easier to pour blood mixture into them. Blood mixed with milk need to be slightly cooked to thicken first if sausage machine is used to make sausages. Sausages then baked in clay or iron (preferably glazed) cookware, well greased with pork fat (I do not recommend parchment unless you plan on eating it).
kittykate1993
Kiev, Ukraine
10/3/2015
This is one excellent recipe. I did not know what to expect, but am delighted with the results. I made it in one large loaf pan, it looks beautiful and came out great. Had trouble with the 4 review, I give this one 4 forks.
Mbohle
Egg Harbor Twp, NJ
12/22/2014
I remember as a small child my Grandmother making blood sausage which looked almost like this except that she used rice instead of oats. The whole neighborhood would come over and it would take the whole day. She had a huge kitchen and tables were set all over while we feasted on the sausage. After stuffing and cooking them, they would be fried until the casing were crispy. Yum. If I can find fresh pig blood, I'd definitely give this a shot.
annapavlova
Southwest Washington
3/11/2014
I was curious to know if you pushed the contents into a casing as it appears there is a skin around the pudding? If so, at what point in the process did this occur?
scotch4ever
Cincinnati, OH
9/5/2013
this is fantastic! I used a large red onion and added a head of garlic, put everything in the food processor. I used one pound of pork back fat. texture came out great. I also added some cayenne. I found blood sold in "blocks" in my local vietnamese grocer, and I didn't have to strain it.
daniguinha
los angeles, ca
3/9/2013
