Love it or loathe it – opinion is divided – but I love Scottish black pudding and cannot understand how anyone couldn’t.
Perhaps people think too hard about the ingredients. It was originally made to use up the leftovers after slaughter of a pig by frugal Scots. It’s typically composed of a mixture of pig’s blood, pork fat, barley and oatmeal and many craft butchers vary spices to make individual tastes.
During the making process it is cooked, so can be eaten as it is, but I recommend slicing, remove plastic casing and dry frying for a minute or two on each side so crispy on outside and soft and piping hot in the middle.
Typically it’s served at breakfast as part of a full Scottish breakfast. However, it can be fantastic in many dishes from a salad by crumbling warm cooked pieces through some dressed leaves with soft sliced Hass avocado, chopped spring onion, toasted pine nuts and a drizzle of balsamic and pesto. You can take a stage further and serve with a soft poached free range egg.
It’s also great crumbled and mixed through some hot creamy mash potato with a spoon of grain Arran mustard and snipped chives. Serve immediately as mash or mould into round cakes, chill and, when required, pan fry each side until golden brown.
Both are great served with roast meats like pork or with game such as pigeon breast or venison.
My favourite accompaniment to black pudding are apples – I have boxes of garden-picked ones to use up. Simply peel two apples and cut into quarters, remove core and slice each quarter into four pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter over a medium heat, add 3 tbsp brown sugar and the apples.
Cook and toss the apples a few times until nicely caramelised and place on a sliced of fried black pudding. This is a great garnish with a grilled pork chop, chicken or even turkey breast.
Black pudding is also great with many fish, from monkfish, hake to smoked haddock, while a classic cheffy combination of roasted scallops with black pudding, celeriac puree and some apple cut into thin batons is always a winner.
However, as a complete, simply fried black pudding on a soft breakfast roll with a little brown sauce takes a bit of beating!
There are many great Scottish black puddings to sample from your local craft butchers.
More in this series…
CHEF’S TABLE: Meet the mackerel – the small fish that packs a big punch
Chef’s Table: Tasty tacos will rekindle the tastebuds after all that festive fare
