Black pudding

[auntieannie]

today, the black pudding called me at the butcher's so I bought it.

I bought a whole one (will eat it over the long weekend) which surprised the butcher as here people buy a few slices usually to add to their fry-up.

But I was thinking of the fresh "boudin noir" available in Switzerland from good butchers. those ones need boiling first. then you can either eat them as is with some apple compote or toast slices of it in the pan.

The black pudding available in the UK is always ready cooked as far as I know.

If you eat any, how do you like it?

[Deleted]

Boudin is one of the only things to which I put a veto as a child, staying a year with my grandparents. When my grandparents and brother ate it with gusto, I would have some slices of ham instead.

I actually do not remember when I finally decided to try it, but it was quite likely when I moved to France permanently at age 20. Perhaps my grandmother served it when I visited, and I had reached an age where I was willing to eat anything if it would please her, or maybe I took it upon myself to try it myself in Paris when nobody was looking. It will remain a mystery.

In any case, it is still not one of my favourite foods, but I have been able to determine that when it is good, it is really quite good and tasty, and when it is not good, it is absolutely vile and repulsive. I am not sure exactly where the fine line between those experiences lies, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with the onion and spice content. I don't buy it often, but I do buy it from time to time and just the fact that the subject has come up makes me want to buy some again. My eyes pass over it at the supermarket every day, usually landing on the andouillettes or the saucisses de Toulouse or some of the other sausages instead.

While I am aware that it is often served traditionally in France with cooked apples or apple sauce, my grandmother always served it with boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes and that remains my preference.

[lagatta]

We serve it with apples (as from Normandy and Brittany). I rather liked it when I was younger, but can't really stomach it any more.

I don't like andoulle any more either. Becoming a wimp? Too much catbox cleaning?

[hwinpp]

I'd love your black pudding, Auntie.

It doesn't call me here!

But I know a place that has it

I love it any which way, English, French or German style, as sausage to be just sliced and eaten on bread, of fried, with chunks of meat and fat, with "Gruetze", oh, just send it along and it disappears pretty fast.

[Don Cuevas]

I've had morcilla in Fabada Asturiana. It was, well, "interesting". My curiosity is satisfied.

[auntieannie]

used some with some salcichon and kale. just in the pan with a little paprika. very nice!

[bixaorellana]

When I lived in Lousiana, I don't remember ever seeing "boudin noir", although the white, "regular" boudin was readily available. I even heard that the black version wasn't legal to make anymore. When I was in university in SW Louisiana, every corner grocery had its own homemade white boudin. So maybe it's true that the blood sausage was outlawed for supposed health reasons.

At any rate, I don't ever remember eating blood sausage until I came to Mexico. The first time I really hated it -- dense, dark purply stuff with those white chunks found in mortadella and seasoned with mint. However, some sense of gustatory curiosity remained & I gave it another try. I now buy it every two or three months or so -- a quarter kilo for tacos & to share with the dog.
Moronga -- Mexican blood sausage:


Last year I had an opportunity to try morcilla, which is also good in a more refined way.

[Deleted]

I bought some West Indian blood sausage yesterday. There are two differences with the French variety -- they are smaller and they are spicier.

I will eat them tomorrow or Tuesday.

[auntieannie]

the english put oats in their blood sausage.

no mint, eeech! (I love mint but not in things such as chocolate or boudin.

[bixaorellana]

I'd love to try that West Indian version.

Annie, the oats are an extender, like rice in Cajun boudin blanc? It sounds a little nasty in blood sausage. Is it okay?

Re: mint in savory foods ........ I was appalled by it when I first encountered it here. They sometimes put mint in chicken soup! Once I got over the seeming wrongness of it, I learned to really like it. The moronga doesn't always have mint, so it was unfortunate that my first example of it did. Too much, too soon!

[auntieannie]

there isn't much oat in the black pudding. don't worry.
ah I understand about the mint.

[kerouac2]

I just remembered that I haven't eaten black pudding in ages, probably at least 2 years. It should be mentioned that it is a food that I refused to eat until at least age 20. ("Deleted" reply #1 was written by me, I see.) Now I'm wondering if it is good for you or not or is just a way to use items that normally would have been thrown away.

[bixaorellana]

Blood sausages are very rich and high in iron, and should be avoided by people who are on a restricted iron diet or suffering from gout. ~ sikorski.ca/faq-facts-blood-sausages/