Tuesday, January 23, 2007

BLOOD SAUSAGE - BOUDIN NOIR

"Blood Sausage" (see link 1, link 2 & link 3) or "Blutwurst", "Black Pudding", "Boudin" is a Swiss charcuterie speciality I didn't like when I was a kid. For me it was too bizarre and totally yucky to eat blood. My reaction was always: "Eeek, not those things again! Bleh!". But now that I'm a little older, wiser and can prepare them my own funky way, I love those "Dracula" sausages!!!

I can understand that for some people it might be a very sick and repulsive (taboo food) act to eat blood, but believe me, once you are able to leave your misjudgements or disgust behind, you'll discover a real delicacy. Yes, "Blood Sausages" are actually succulent and ideal during the wintertime as they are nourishing (calorific and rich in protein, vitamin D and minerals such as iron)!

"Blood Sausages", here in Switzerland, are quite soft (they don't keep their shape very well once the casing is removed unlike "Black Pudding" in the UK), delicately spiced with cinnamon and enhanced with cream.

The following recipe is based on my family's Swiss version of "Blood Sausage" and I must say that it is a great comfort food classic...

Serves 2.

Ingredients:

2 Boudins noirs (black)/Blood sausages
30g Unsalted butter

2 Medium onions, sliced
5 Cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
A pinch Italian dried herbs (optional)
Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Method:
1. Open the sausages, discard the skins and coarsely chop them.

2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the butter. Let it get slightly brown.
3. Add the onions and garlic, stir-fry until the onions are golden brown.
4. Add the chopped sausage and herbs. Stir-fry over high heat until slightly "dry", about 10 minutes.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve.

Remarks:
If you wish, you can also parboil the sausages before opening them and chopping them.
After it has been fried, the blood sausage mixture should still be a little moist.

~ Black and white boudin. ~

Serving suggestions:

Serve the stir-fried "Blood Sausage" with apple sauce/compote and Spätzlis (see recipe), pasta or potatoes puree.

(Pierre Léman -Pic by www.fond-ecran-image.com)
(Boudins -Pic by www.fict.fr)

12 comments:

  1. Sans conteste je préfère le black boudin au white ! hé hé ! Seul dilemne...je ne trouve plus d bon boudin en France ! je sais, j'exagère, mais si peu !...J'ai la nostalgie des tueurs de cochon de mon enfance !

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  2. huum ça soit être bon!! la photo set superbe!! bises micky

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  3. LILIZEN: En fait, on ne peut pas les comparer car ce sont deux boudins très différent; les deux n'ont rien en commun (à part le nom). Quel dommage de ne pas trouver de bon boudin où tu habites, surtout si on est habituée à la vraie charcuterie maison...

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  4. Une recette très appétissante... J'aime beaucoup le boudin noir.

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  5. Hey, I like the recipes that you have posted here. Maruschka is cute too.

    happy blogging

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  6. Moi, je ne suis pas du tout, mais alors pas du tout !!!, dégoûtée par l'idée de manger du boudin. Au contraire, j'adore ça !
    Bises
    hélène

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  7. Je suis boudin noir et boudin blanc... quand c'est bien fait, c'est queque chose de délicieux.

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  8. CHRIS: Merci pour ta visite et ton commentaire!

    JUSTIN: Thanks for the kind comments and for visiting my blog!

    HÉLÈNE: Alors, bienvenue au club du boudin ;-P!!! Bises.

    MAMINA: Oui, les deux sortes sont bonnes... Et bien évidemment, la qualité du produit est aussi importante.

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  9. Yum. We have kishka on special ocassions. It's either dark (blood) or light (rice). I know it sounds horrible, but it is soooo good!

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  10. ROSA: I've never eaten Kischka, but I'm sure that it's delicious! To me it doesn't sound horrible ;-P...

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  11. Hi Rosa,

    We LOVE the Swiss Blood and Liver sausages. We always have to have them when they're in season and think that, if we leave Switzerland, they'll be sorely missed.

    I haven't seen the sauteed kind anywhere here but I'll definitely try it once the blood sausage is available.

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  12. V: I love those sausages too! i also have them when they are in season. My grandmother always sauteed them. It is really worth trying!

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