A Bucket of Blood

A friend arrived with a bucket of fresh organic pig's blood a couple of days ago, this was the opportunity that we have been waiting for. Fed up with eating black puddings, posing as being made from traditional recipes, but actually made from dried imported blood, here was our chance to make our own genuine organic pudding.

Fresh organic pig's blood

The first problem was to locate a traditional Irish recipe, there were plenty telling us how to use them in cooking, but few were found on how to actually make them and those ones had quantities of white breadcrumbs in them, that we wished to avoid. Not having used fresh blood before, the safest course of action was to use a sensible French recipe. So, we began with Jennifer McLagan's Boudin Noir. This proved to be a success and good starting point.

Black pudding made with fresh organic pig's blood, ready for the oven.

The next morning, feeling a lot braver and considerably more foolhardy, it was time to go it alone and create our own recipe to try and achieve the traditional style of Irish black pudding, that we were aiming for.
It turned out to be as simple as rendering down some organic pork back fat, cooking onions in the fat, adding cooked pearl barley, oat flakes, spices and last of all: the blood. Then baking it all in a bath of water, in the oven.

Traditional homemade black pudding ready to cook for breakfast

What a delicious breakfast - two different types of homemade, locally sourced, blood pudding, fried slowly with a nob of country butter. The first one was very rich and light in texture and the second was exactly as we had hoped: moist with a rich traditional flavour.

Homemade black pudding almost ready for the breakfast table

From now on, we will find it difficult to buy blood puddings, as we know that we can make vastly superior ones, in full awareness of the origin of all the main ingredients.

Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com

Pumpkin, Ginger and Orange Marmalade

Pumpkin, Ginger and Orange Marmalade from Nashtown Castle made from our own home grown pumpkins, picked in the autumn, air dried and naturally matured to ensure they are eaten at their best.

Nashtown Castle Pumpkin, Ginger and Orange Marmalade

Made in our traditional country kitchen, the orange and ginger flavours are dominant in this unusual, but delicious marmalade. Use it as a relish with free range pork sausages or on fresh brown soda bread for breakfast.

Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com 

Kilkenny Hops - Humulus Lupulus

September is the time of year to harvest your own hops (humulus lupulus) to brew beer. Kilkenny used to be famous for its hop farms, but no longer. This does not mean that you cannot cultivate your own: they are easily grown, just keep them out of the wind and give them something to climb up.

Hops growing in County Kilkenny

The petals from the green hop flowers make an interesting substitute for fresh basil in tomato dishes, such as the one below.

Heirloom/heritage tomatoes and hops on toast

Heritage Tomatoes with Hops on Toasted Brown Bread
To make the tomato paste, roughly chop some freshly picked tomatoes and place in bowl with a little chopped onion, add sea salt, freshly squeezed home grown garlic, olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper. Tear the petals of two hop flowers, mix into the tomato paste. Add the mixture to some brown bread or half a brown bread roll and place in a medium for about 15 minutes, then top with a few extra hop petals for a seasonal snack.

Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com

Sloe Gin and Wild Apple Jelly

Now that the first frost has arrived it is time to pick sloes and wild apples, sweetened by the frost, to make Sloe Gin Jelly. I have some of last year's sloe gin left over and will use it in the jelly recipe. 

Wild Kilkenny apples ready for picking

Ripe sloes

Sloes and wild apples ready for cooking

Sloe and apple juice

The finished article with last year's sloe gin added: Wild Apple, Sloe & Sloe Gin Jelly.
Email: kilkennyseakale@gmail.com