Entree: Guyana – Guyana Black Pudding (Guyanese blood sausage made with pig's blood, seasoned rice, pork and herbs)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 30 min

Total 50 min

Ingredients

- 1 lb (454 g) pork shoulder, coarsely ground
- 2 cups (480 ml) fresh pig's blood
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) cooked long-grain white rice, cooled
- 1 large onion, about 8 oz (225 g), finely chopped
- 4 scallions, about 2 oz (60 g), thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (15 g) chopped fresh chives or culantro if available
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp (5 g) fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tsp (10 g) ground black pepper
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground allspice
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (5 g) kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or low-sodium stock, to loosen mixture if needed
- 2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m) natural hog casings, soaked and rinsed

Instructions

1. In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, scallions and garlic and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5–6 minutes. Stir in thyme and remove from heat to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl combine the ground pork, cooked rice, cooled sautéed aromatics, chives, black pepper, allspice, coriander, cayenne and salt. Mix thoroughly to distribute seasonings.
3. Slowly stir the pig's blood into the pork-and-rice mixture until evenly combined. If the mixture seems too thick to stuff, add up to 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or stock to loosen; mixture should be cohesive but not runny.
4. Fit a sausage stuffer or a funnel to a sausage stuffing tube. Rinse the soaked casings inside and out and slide one end onto the tube. Fill casings with the blood mixture, taking care not to overstuff; leave a little space to tie ends. Twist into 6–8 inch (15–20 cm) links and tie ends securely.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer (just below boiling). Poach the filled casings in batches, maintaining a gentle simmer, until firm and cooked through, about 25–30 minutes. Do not boil vigorously to avoid splitting casings.
6. Remove sausages from the water and let cool slightly. To serve, slice and pan-fry slices in a little oil over medium-high heat until crisp on both sides, about 2–3 minutes per side.
7. Serve warm as part of a traditional Guyanese breakfast or with bread. Leftover black pudding keeps refrigerated for 3–4 days or can be frozen.