Do you believe in destiny? Do you ever have a feeling something was meant to be, that there is a reason as to why something is happening in your life? I often do and this is one perfect example. One day I got a message on Facebook by a total stranger, a woman in my city, who insisted on taking me out too lunch so she could pick my brain to give advice on her new food blog journey. I was skeptical but curious so we chatted for a bit. A month later we had a blind foodie date. We had the most awesome 3 hour lunch and I could not help feel I was meant to become friends with this person.
Warning: the faint of heart at the sight of blood…abstain from this post!
Fast forward 4 years already and I now count Oana as one of my dearest friends. She is a crazy gal! We laugh hard, conversations are fun and intense. She is the same in the kitchen, from making broth with the entire jaw of an animal to hanging 200 bunches of mint to dry on her wall (I was a witness to that). And she makes boudin!
Actually we made Boudin, or Blood Sausage, together! We made 12 feet of it! Due to a on-the-small-side funnel it was a messy and bloody sight. And lots of sweat…but so much fun, an awesome and educational day! Have you ever cooked with blood? If not are you curious about it?
The Martin Picard’s Boudin Maison recipe comes from the celebrated restaurant’s cookbook Au Pied de Cochon, a Montreal institution – the chef is a character and an institution as well.
Oana originally posted this Blood Sausage recipe on her blog in early 2011 and I was thrilled to be invited for round 2 in Nov 2012. Yes shame on me, it took me a year to post this recipe but the timing had to be good, stuff and life happened. A cold early December felt like the right time!
Lots of pics ahead. The full recipe can be found below. As Oana would say: Time to Dish!
Get all your ingredients out!
Get wine, lots of it! It will be a long day in the kitchen. (I left her house quite drunk oops)
Soak the bread in the cream.
Get a foodporn shot of your massive amount of pork back fat (we have 30 oz here)
Dice your pork back fat into 1/4 inch (or as close to it as possible)
Blanch back fat in boiling water for about 25 minutes, chill and set aside.
Sweat onions in a pan with thyme, 4 spice and salt until translucent but not brown. Add chestnut flour and stir for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
Check to make sure the casings have no tears by running cold water through them, measure out 4 feet and then tie one end with butcher string.
Time to get your blood out!
In a large bowl mix the bread, back fat, onion mixture and blood well.
Using a large funnel pour in blood mixture until you have plump, gorgeous sausage. Twist the casing every 8 inches or so a few times to make links. Then tie the other end. The sausage must be cooked right away as casings are permeable.
In water that does not go above 80C or 175F (they may burst on you otherwise) cook the sausage for 25-30 minutes depending on the size. Make sure to poke tiny toothpick holes in them at the beginning of cooking (once in water) to avoid tearing. Once done, stop cooking by dunking glorious sausage in ice water.
We tripled (3x) the recipe so we got about 12 feet of blood sausage
Martin Picard’s Boudin Maison (Blood Sausage)
Ingredients
- 300 ml 35 % cream
- 2 cups of bread crusts removed and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 10 ounces of pork back fat cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 3 medium onion minced
- Fresh thyme leaves from two sprigs
- 1 teaspoon of 4 spice mix
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1/4 cup of chestnut flour
- Pork casings
- 1 liter of pig's blood
Instructions
- Soak the bread in the cream.
- Blanch back fat in boiling water for about 25 minutes, chill and set aside.
- Sweat onions in a pan with thyme, 4 spice and salt until translucent but not brown. Add chestnut flour and stir for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Check to make sure the casings have no tears by running cold water through them, measure out 4 feet and then tie one end with butcher string.
- In a large bowl mix the bread, back fat, onion mixture and blood well.
- Using a large funnel pour in blood mixture until you have plump, gorgeous sausage. Twist the casing every 8 inches or so a few times to make links. Then tie the other end.
- The sausage must be cooked right away as casings are permeable. In water that does not go above 80C or 175F (they may burst on you otherwise) cook the sausage for 25-30 minutes depending on the size. Make sure to poke tiny toothpick holes in them at the beginning of cooking (once in water) to avoid tearing.
- Once done, stop cooking by dunking glorious sausage in ice water.
That is some BEAUTIFUL blood sausage, Evelyne. You are impressive.
Thanks for checking out this old post Camilla lol. I must give full credit to my friend: she got the blood and had done it before.
Well I am impressed my dear! My BIL brought me back some boudin from Louisiana but it didn’t have blood it in. However, I have had blood sausage on a visit to south Louisiana and it was really good even though the thought of it wasn’t that appealing. I’m just loving your bravery and adventurous side. That is some beautiful sausage!!!
Wishing you and your family a very Happy Holiday Season!!
Oh girl! You did it again! You come up with the most amazing stuff.
This was such a great post about friendship, love, and the holiday. I enjoyed reading this.
Evelyn, you are the best!
I like blood sausage but would have never have had the courage to prepare one, too much of Twilight Saga in this 🙂
oh no, you didn;t invite me making blood sausage T_T
i really obsessed on making homemade sausage,gotta try this soon…..
salute and bow down to you!!!
OMG I don’t know if I could make this! Where do you even get pigs blood from? lol. My parents eat this stuff but not me haha. Maybe one day I will try it…
Well, had I been assigned your blog for Grandmother’s table day…this would have been a perfect dish because it is definitely something she would have made. Not one scrap ever went to waste. It was all used.
What a great story of your friendship. Food bloggers make terrific friends! What a fun project…you always rise to the occasion with your “exotic” recipes! Well done.
I’d love to make this one day! I wonder if I could find a friend like Oana who would make it with me! 😀 And yes I TOTALLY believe in fate or destiny!
WOW!! You are my hero. I am too big of a wimp to cook with blood, but enjoyed reading your post. And love that you met a dear friend from blogging. Happy Happy Holidays Evelyn.
G’day and love your post today Evelyne and do believe things are meant for a reason both positive and negative! Sharing!
Cheers! Joanne
OMG Evelyne, I almost fainted :). You and your friend are so brave to do this yourself.
I am speechless, Evelyne. You did it again! Homemade blood sausage!!! You two are a great team.