Black Pudding

Prep: 25mCook: 1hr 30mTotal: 1hr 55m
Cuisine: BritishCategory: Breakfast

My homemade black pudding with fresh pig’s blood, pork back fat, oats and warm spices. Baked in a tin, chilled overnight, then sliced and fried until crisp.

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Black Pudding
Black Pudding

Ingredients

24
Serves
Metric

      Directions

      Your screen will stay on while you cook.

      Prep: 25mCook: 1hr 30mTotal: 1hr 55m
      1. Step 1: Finely dice the onions and set aside.
      2. Step 2: Heat an oven to 130°C (265°F) fan bake or 150°C (300°F) without a fan. Cut the back fat into 5mm dice. Set aside about 2 tablespoons of the fat to cook the onions in and refrigerate what's left.
      3. Step 3: Melt the reserved 2 tablespoons of fat in a pan over low heat. Add the onions and gently sweat for 15 minutes until very soft, without browning them. Add the oats to the pan and toss through the onions. Tip the mixture onto a flat tray and let it cool at room temperature.
      4. Step 4: Strain the blood into a large mixing bowl. Add the cream, salt, allspice, coriander, nutmeg, white pepper and chilli flakes. Add the cooled onions and diced fat before stirring well.
      5. Step 5: To check the seasoning, fry a teaspoon of the mixture in a frying pan until firm. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
      6. Step 6: Grease your loaf tin. Stir the mixture again and pour it in. Cover tightly with foil.
      7. Step 7: Put the tin in a roasting tray and add boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bake for 75 to 90 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir gently to distribute the fat throughout, then re-cover with foil.
      8. Step 8: It’s cooked when it has a firm texture, a skewer inserted into the centre of the tin comes out without liquid blood and the centre reaches at least 72°C (161°F).
      9. Step 9: Carefully remove the tin from the roasting tray and leave it to cool on a wire rack, at room temperature. Once cool, cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.
      10. Step 10: Slice lengthwise into three rectangular logs. Slice each log into 1.5 cm slices.
      11. Step 11: To serve, fry each slice in a little butter or oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side.

      Equipment

      • Chopping board
      • Chef’s knife
      • Stainless steel frying pan
      • Loaf tin (roughly 19cm x 24cm x 6cm)
      • Wooden spatula and whisk
      • Flat oven tray
      • Fine sieve
      • Large mixing bowl
      • Deep roasting tray
      • Temperature probe or skewer
      • Wire rack

      Chef’s Tips

      Recipe notes

      Strain the blood

      Pig’s blood naturally forms clots, and any that make it into the tin will ruin the smooth texture. Pass it through a fine sieve to catch the clots and any pieces that haven’t fully defrosted.

      Freeze the fat before dicing

      Soft back fat is hard to cut cleanly. I put it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to firm it up, which makes it far easier to cut into neat, even cubes.

      Don’t skip the 20 minute stir

      Pork fat is much lighter than blood, so it rises to the surface as it cooks. Giving it a gentle stir after 20 minutes redistributes the fat so it stays suspended through the pudding instead of settling on top.

      Cover the tin tightly

      Seal the tin well with foil. It stops steam from the water bath getting into the pudding and making it wet.

      Use a digital probe

      A skewer is the classic way to test for doneness, but a probe takes out the guesswork. Take it out as soon as the centre hits 72°C (161°F). Overcooked black pudding turns firm and crumbly.

      Storage

      Once the black pudding has completely cooled, wrap it in cling film and keep it in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

      Ingredient notes

      Pig’s blood

      This is the base of the recipe, so source it properly. Most butchers can order it in with a few days’ notice, and Asian butchers often keep it in stock. It usually comes frozen, so thaw it completely in the fridge before you start. Pass it through a fine sieve even if it’s sold as strained. Any clots or icy pieces left in will set as hard lumps through the pudding.

      Pork back fat

      Back fat is the firm layer of fat from along the pig’s back. It’s harder than belly fat and holds its shape when diced, which gives you those distinct white pieces through each slice. Ask your butcher for it with the rind removed. Cut it into an even 5mm dice so it all cooks at the same rate, and keep it cold until it goes into the blood so it doesn’t soften and smear.

      FAQs

      Why is my black pudding crumbly?
      It’s almost always overcooked. Once the centre goes past 72°C (161°F) the proteins keep tightening and squeeze out moisture. Start checking with a probe at the 75 minute mark and pull it as soon as it hits temperature.
      Do I need to cook it again before eating?
      No, it’s fully cooked once it comes out of the oven, so you can eat it cold. I always fry it though. The crisp outside and rendered fat are what make it.
      Can I freeze it?
      Yes. I slice it first and layer baking paper between the slices, then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can fry the slices straight from frozen, just give them an extra minute or two each side.
      What should I serve it with?
      A cooked breakfast with bacon, eggs and grilled tomato is the classic. It also works well with sweet, acidic flavours, so try it with seared scallops and apple purée.

      About this recipe

      Black pudding is a blood sausage from Britain and Ireland, made by setting fresh pig’s blood with diced pork fat, oats and warm spices. I wasn't sure whether I should out this recipe online as I didn't know how many people would actually make it. But I have had a requests so here it is.

      I cook mine gently in a water bath in a low oven, so the outside doesn’t overcook before the centre reaches 72°C (161°F). That gentle heat gives you a smooth, dense slice rather than a dry, crumbly one.

      Traditionally it’s piped into casings, but I set mine in a loaf tin. It’s easier to manage at home, there’s no need for a sausage stuffer, and once it’s chilled overnight you can cut it into neat logs and slices. The diced back fat stays as small pockets through the pudding. When you fry a slice, the outside crisps while those pockets render and baste it from the inside. I serve it as part of a cooked breakfast, but it’s just as good with seared scallops or a fried egg on toast.

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      Keywords: Black Pudding, Breakfast, British, Pork, homemade black pudding, British black pudding recipe, Irish black pudding recipe, black pudding with oats, black pudding with pork fat, oven baked black pudding, how to make black pudding, black pudding for cooked breakfast

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