The BBC on Black Pudding

Hey! Fame at last! We've just been mentioned on the BBC Good Food blog!

To make a Black Pudding

First, kill your pig.

I wasn't present for that part so cannot regale you with a photo - you probably wouldn't want to see it anyway. I've witnessed killing a pig in your backyard before - Halal or Kosher killing of an animal seems humane in comparison - here it's a sharp implement into the heart. I wouldn't know which is more effective at collecting the resulting blood outflow (hmmm ... and it makes me wonder how they collect the blood for Black Pudding - do Black Pudding abbatoirs have similar dispensations as Halal and Kosher abbatoirs ?).

I once witnessed a Halal killing for our landlady's wedding in Darfur. Two sheep were purchased and tied up in our yard. "Baa, baa, baa ..." one would state, and the other would reply "Baa, baa, baa ...". And then they seemed to get into a shouting match and "Baa, baa, baa ..." together. It was beginning to get on my nerves just a little bit.

The moment arrived - the first sheep was strung up by its hind legs (a bit undignified I admit, justified "baaing" and a bit more shrill) and quickly had its throat cut. Sheep no. 2, having witnessed all this went suddenly silent. Phew! What a relief!

Back on subject ...

Then collect the pig's blood and butcher it, making sure you save the intestines for the pudding skin. Wash out the intestines.

Next chop up the intestine "skins" into the required length.

Tie a piece of palm frond round the end of your skin and fill it with blood.


Close your pudding with another piece of palm frond.


Repeat until you finish up all the blood.

Tie the two ends of the pudding together.

Meanwhile you have got your fire going and put a big saucepan of boiling water on the go.

Put your puddings with some choice herbs in the boiling water and boil for approximately 15 minutes ...






... and remove.



And the last step (after my camera battery had ran out) is barbecue them on the fire.

Bury Market - Something for Everyone

Bury market is debatedly the most famous market in the U.K. and in 2006 won the Market of the Year award (links here and here). And as it's down the road from us, a trip definitely had the potential of a good day out.

Although not the most direct route to Bury, we caught a bus to Rawtenstall to catch the East Lancashire Railway to Bury. The ELR is a private railway running steam engines on the old Bury-Heywood branchline. Although started as a trainspotters' hobby (and I was one once, anorak and all!), it is now a valuable community service.

Up the valleys by bus to Rawtenstall (one end of the line) - beautiful sunshine, small towns, old cotton mills, stone terraces ... A short stop in Bacup where the driver advised me I could get off for a smoke. A one-legged pensioner in a wheelchair couldn't negotiate the narrow pavement and alighting so we manhandled him on. Jaime fascinated by a one-legged person!

We just made it onto the train. Kezia and Jaime were enthralled. All the Tommy the Tank Engine comic book images became real, a couple of tunnels - whooh! - the engine hoots and whistles, smoke and chugger, chugger, chugger ... We pull up in Bury and have time for photo opportunities. Jaime is invited onto the footplate (not sure he can be made out through the smoke in the photo!).





And then to Bury market.

Now I have to admit an ulterior motive here! Bury is the home of the Black Pudding! Nowhere else in the U.K. can you have a Black Pudding Sandwich - a hot, boiled black pudding sliced in two with a filling of picallili, tomato ketchup, HP sauce or mustard. A culinary delight!


The culinary delights continued - a meat-and-potato pie with mushy peas (dried peas boiled and mashed) covered in gravy (another traditional northern dish) - and then I took home some real (as opposed to shrink-wrapped) farm-made Lancashire cheese - strong, tangy, crumbly. Angus is a happy boy!

And Nanda went shopping!

Something for everyone!