Without Blood Sausage, It Just Wouldn’t Be Christmas

[no_hypocrisy]

Took the words right out of my mouth . . . .


Siim Vanaselja, who was in charge of blood-sausage operations, said that in traditional Estonian village life, verivorstid were made immediately after the slaughter each autumn, when the weather turned cold and the cost of keeping animals warm and fed became too high. Bacon, ham and smoked sausages were laid down for the winter, but blood is highly perishable and must be cooked right away. So the fresh blood sausage was boiled, frozen and saved as a treat for Christmas Eve.

Before Mass, a group sauna was traditional; after Mass, families still sit down to a feast of sauerkraut simmered with fresh pork, roasted potatoes and blood sausages, always sparked with a tangy compote of cranberries or lingonberries.

-more-

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/15/dining/15blood.html?ref=dining

[Denninmi]

1. My father always had it. Personally, I could take or leave it.

It was sort of something I could eat if I had to. His parents both immigrated from Eastern Europe, Croatia. Must be widely popular there. I think back in the olden times, any resource was too precious to waste, especially something as rich in protein as blood.

It really didn't taste bad, it was just the appearance that bothered me. The kind I recall had rice in it, I believe. When cooked, and taken out of the casing, it looked like burnt hamburger with white flecks.

[cbayer]

2. I wish I knew where to get it. I love the stuff.

Anyone have any ideas of where to get it in the LosAngeles area?

[Catherina]

3. No but if you're game, I can give you a food recipe for it

I was able to find fresh pig's blood in Asian stores. It's not that hard to make but it's alot easier with 2 people.

The hardest part is finding the blood and the casing.

Google says that El Mambi Mkt in Glendale carries it http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-mambi-mkt-glendale#query:blood%20sausage

[cbayer]

4. I never thought of making it myself. Is it just a matter of putting it into the casing?

I was in France once (sadly, long ago) and every little meat market had it.

Thanks for the Glendale link. I am going to check it out.

:hi:

[Catherina]

5. I haven't made it in years (but I want to soon again)

My recollection was that it was really easy and that once you mixed the spices in with the blood, it was a matter of pouring it into the casings. The whole thing, to make about 40 boudins, took about an hour. The hardest part was figuring out how to pour the blood mixture into the casings and my BF had the bright idea of sawing the very bottom off of a gallon milk plastic jug, insering the casings into the small top part, and then flipping it over to pour the blood mixture in.

While he was pouring the blood mixture in, I was tying the filled casings with string.

We made them many times and all the French people in Carmel, CA were begging for more.

It really wasn't hard and very much worth the work because they tasted better, MUCH BETTER, than anything we ever got in fancy resturants (back in my fancy restaurant days lol).

After pouring it all into the casings, we had to simmer/boil them for a few minutes I think. If you're interested, I can dig up the recipe and transcribe it for you. It was really worth it!

Guess what I'm making for dinner tonight? Tripes a la mode de Caen. Have you ever had those? Oh my God, it's so good! Much better than eating it in a hot dog lol.

Any old recipe you need, just PM me. I've been collecting them for years. I have a really good recipe, fine tuned, for rillettes too.

:hi:

[cbayer]

6. Thanks, Catherina. I won't be in the LA area until late this month, but I am going

to do some research on whether I can find a butcher shop sells the blood or can get it for me. If I am able to locate it, I will contact you for the recipe.

Have you thought of putting your recipes together on a website? Sounds like you have some great ones.

:hi: