Stay with me on this one because I need a couple of lines of explanation.
Firstly, let’s understand one thing, there is ONLY way to eat black pudding and that is to BOIL it!
That’s right, BOIL it!.
Whoever the hell first thought it a good idea to fry it was clearly from some cretinous sub-culture.
And what traditionally is a black pudding made from?
Pigs blood, Pig Rind, Oatmeal, Barley and mixed herbs all inside Pig’s intestine.
Traditionally, this is made into a Black Pudding Ring.
(You can also get them as ‘Sticks’ and ‘Chubs’).
So what is the whinge?
In the absence of the ‘real thing’ I have been eating a passable interpretation from Sainsburys.
However, they appear to have changed their supplier!
The new one omits the Barley, the Oats, and the Pig Rind has been replaced with lumps of lard.
In desperation, I succumbed to the ultimate sacrilige and FRIED it!
BIG MISTAKE, because they had swapped the Intestine with PLASTIC!
That’s NOT a Black Pudding, it’s shit.
Bloody Livid!
Tags: black pudding, Bury, Lancs, whinge
I’ve just been watching a stupid ‘Daily Cook’s Challenge’ on TV.
I could not believe Brian Turner describing Black Pudding from Scotland as the best there is.
Then he fried it!
Pillock!
I’ve been boiling them for over thirty years……..but I’m still not sure how for long they should be cooked.
Depending on size 15-20 mins. The Bury Black Pudding is a slightly looser texture than some others and I prefer them a little overcooked rather than under.
Strictly speaking, they are already cooked and could be eaten cold. However, I like them hot and I like to be a bit cautious.
Sunday mornings are a real treat sometimes. One large Black Pudding on its own with Sea Salt and ground pepper with loads of mustard. I prefer French or German because English is a little overpowering for the quantity I like.
something in the region of 90% of the people in the world that eat blood pudding eat it fried! Tried it boiled after reading your comments – Yuk! AND wheres the taste??? bet you boil steak too!!!Funny thing is I have had it in your neck of the woods quite offten and all the hotels, Cafe, boarding houses I used all served it fried with the rest of my breakfast. Ah well, if we all liked the same things it would be a boreing old world, BUT TO SAY ITS THE ONLY WAY TO EAT IT – SAD PERSON WHO HAS NEVER READ A COOK BOOK.
Oh dear, see what happens when you eat fakes; it turns you all bitter and twisted.
Clearly it was not an original otherwise the whole tone of your response would have been one of adulatuion. The taste comes from the subtle blend of herbs that are there. However, it is normal to add plenty of salt and pepper, and esentially, mustard.
Regarding the boiling of steak, well yes, ever heard of ‘Braised Steak’? What about stews and casseroles?
Regarding my neck of the woods, now where would that be, Bury where I was born, Mid-Wales where I lived for 20 years or Cheltenham where I have lived for the last 20 years?
“Sad person”? Me? you’ve never met me old son, Sad? Not a chance!
“Never read a cook book”. And this coming from someone who can’t even boil a Black Pudding! Get a life Jaq.
Failing that, get yourself down to Cheltenham and I’ll buy you a pint!
I was born and brought up in Manchester. We used to eat black puddings bought on Bury market – they were known as Bury puddings.
My mother always used to boil them, and it never occurred to me that they could be fried until I came down to the bright lights of London and discovered the sacrilegious behaviour of nesh Southerners.
In fact they’re really two different dishes. Fry them and they’re dry (because the fat melts out of them) and granular (crispy on the outside as some people advise when frying!); boil them and they’re fatty and unctuous. Which you prefer depends on your personal tastes, your national cuisine, and I guess how you first experienced them.
I still boil black puddings of course, but now lament the absence of the huge lumps of fat I was used to as a child (but of course couldn’t stand at the time!). Tastes have changed over the years and cuisine now is lighter, less fatty, less meaty, more varied etc – probably all for the better if one’s honest.
As has been said, they’re already cooked so all you have to do is reheat them. DON’T drop them into boiling water – they’ll burst and you’ll have to just throw the resulting mess away – a slow rise to temperature and a slow simmer is needed. I steam mine, but that’s a bit pedantic. 20-30 mins is fine – until you’re sure they’re hot all the way through.
I agree mustard is essential.The really hot English variety of course…
Well said. I live in Scotland but hail from the town of Bury. I returned up here after Christmas with a bag full of the blighters from Bury Market. I am older and wiser than my young self who always had them cooked for me by my Mum. Thanks for the cooking advice, dont ever let anyone tell you the Scots know a good black pudding. They are fake and poor imitations of the true items to be bought at Chadwicks Market stall back home and they fry the life out of them.
Thanks for the above; I’m now living in Queensland but the posts brought back memories of home in Manchester UK. I was given a Black Pudding as a gift and cooked it today; 4 mins on medium in the microwave produced the same effect as being immersed in boiling water; I put it in a covered casserole dish in case of explosion, but there was no problem.