RECIPE FROM SPAIN:

Morcilla - Spanish Black Pudding Recipe

Usually the morcilla is made on the first or second day of the matanza. It is a very rich black pudding packed full of spices and is always very welcome with a nice glass of "tinto" at the end of this very hard first day. Whatever is left can be conserved for later use.

Recipes vary from family to family, although the basics are always the same. The following recipe explains how one Spanish family in our local village has been making her black pudding for generations.

If you would like to know more about the Matanza read the article Andalucian Matanza - a History.

You will need:

Pigs blood (about 3 - 4 large casserole dishes)
Stale bread, again about 4 loaves
4 "arrobas" of onions which is roughly 46 kilos
Pork fat
Large pigs intestines or false Sausage skins
Cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, oregano and pine nuts or walnuts

Method

• The onions are usually the first things to be prepared. Starting early in the morning or sometimes the day before, they are peeled, chopped and cooked in water over an open fire.

• Once cooked, they are placed in large cloth sacs and hung to allow the water to drain away.

• Once the blood has been collected from the pig and stirred, it is placed in a large casserole dish with stale bread.

• The pork fat and ground nuts and spices are added to the casserole dish and mixed well, usually by hand. The onions are added and everything is mixed again.

• At this stage, a little of the mixture is gently fried for a minute or two to test the seasoning. (This is often the most enjoyable part and of course, there are many tasters!)

• Once satisfied with the seasoning, the intestines are filled with the mixture and are tied at intervals of about 10 - 15 cms.

• The black pudding is cleaned off and gently cooked in water.

Whatever is not eaten is hung in the family bodega for later use.