Blood Pudding: the Real Story.

Nearly every other person in the United States descends from a European nation. And nearly every other person in the United States has some culinary heritage that also descends from a European nation. Any yet somehow the waves of Europeans and European food have never managed to bring "pudding" across the Atlantic. I realize we have an infinite variety of instant, fruit, Jello, sweet puddings. But I am speaking of the artisanal peasant forcemeat tradition. Many Americans believe that pudding is simply the odd, black disk on the side of their "Irish" or "English" breakfast plate that may or may not be edible. A fun experiment is to travel around the UK and eaves drop on American tourists eating the full complimentary breakfast that usually comes with a hotel or inn room. I've heard some confuse the black disc with "haggis" or beef innards or even oatmeal colored with pig's blood. Actually, this last interpretation is not far off.

Pudding, much like sausage, is a forcemeat historically made up of pig trimmings (the bits left after a hog is butchered for resale or finer dining), additional fat, and small garnishes usually some cured bits of "nicer pork." The pudding tradition was born out of necessity. Peasant butchers all over rural Europe and the U.K. saved every bit of hog that they couldn't sell and made something savory to share with family and friends. Romantically, I believe that this is why the tradition is so delicious – any food artisan knows you spend the most energy on that which you'll serve to your family! Some may at this point be wondering where in that process the dark black color comes to be and indeed, not all pudding is dark colored – there is a rich tradition of White Pudding as well. Black, or Blood Pudding however is colored by pig's blood, a major part of the "trimmings" butchers had left over. Blood has been, historically, an important flavoring (and coloring) ingredient in sauces, soups, etc. and pig's blood has a wonderfully rich, almost smoky flavor.

In the era of mass breeding, disease, and antibiotics being pumped into our livestock, most hog blood is not what it once was. Present-day Ireland, like many other countries, has outlawed the harvesting and/or processing of domestic pig blood – a very large damper on an artisanal product defined by the color and flavor of pig blood.

Fortunately for me, and fortunately for pudding lovers, Ross Lewis joined other purveyors, culinarians and chefs organized to preserve traditional food crafts threatened by industrialized agricultural practices. Pudding is produced in nearby France from French hogs closely monitored by sanitation boards. It is also produced in Ireland using imported bull’s blood from Spain. Ross even whispered he has a few close country friends who still make the “real thing” for sharing. In recent years Ross has been the resident Irish expert for Euro toques and Slow Food on traditional foods like pudding. At Chapter One we are dedicated to pudding preservation! We produce our own White Pudding – a benchmark Ross Lewis recipe. We also buy artisanal black puddings from Ross’s friends and make them into a Boudin of puddings, veal sweetbreads, and prosciutto.
So to American friends of mine all across the United States: the next time you see that odd, black disc in the corner of your breakfast plate – eat with courage and enjoy the rich tastes of pork parts we get less frequently!

Chapter One’s “Gloucestershire Old Spot Pork White Pudding”
500 G foi gras
6 kG pork loin
1.5 kG prosciutto Llardo
600 G smoked bacon
8 eggs
80 G salt
15 slices white bread soaked in 1 L Irish cream