Guyana Black Pudding is a traditional Guyanese recipe for a classic sausage made from a blend of cooked rice, coconut, herbs, salt meat, and blood that's boiled to cook and then finished by frying. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Guyanese version of: Guyana Black Pudding.
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Though black pudding (image, left) is typically made with pig's blood there are cow's blood and even goat blood variations, depending on the particular family recipe. The coconut is optional and sometimes it's replaced by white sweet potatoes, cassava or cocoyam. A version without the blood, known as 'white pudding' is also prepared. Though it's often believed in Guyana that black pudding arose from a blend of native and African in origins, it's almost certainly British in origin, with rice substituted for oats as the binding agent. Broad leaf thyme (Thymus pulegioides is a species of thyme that in its Guyanese cultiver form has broader and more rounded leaves than common thyme, and has an excellent flavour for cooking, the leaves are softer than common thyme and easier to chop. It is very important in Caribbean cookery and develops a meaty aroma after roasting).
The 'married man poke' or 'married man pork' referred to in the recipe is a strain of basil from Guyana with a very curious name indeed. Very similar to Italian sweet basil, though often growing as a 'bush' (which is why it's sometimes called 'bush basil') it has a much more complex flavour and a sweet aroma then Italian basil, with notes of citrus and vanilla.
Ingredients:
800g rice
1 coconut, flesh extracted and grated
115g salt meat
1 eschalot, minced
2 celery sticks (with leaves), minced
4 tbsp thyme (broad-leaf thyme), minced
3 tbsp married man poke (the leaves of bush basil), minced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 hot chilli (Scotch bonnet or habanero), finely minced
salt and brown sugar, to taste
475ml pig or cow's blood
sausage casings (also known as 'runners')
limes or lime juice (to clean the casings)
Method:
If using natural casings, runners, rather than artificial casings, clean them with lime juice and salt until they are free from mucus.
Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the salted meat, grated coconut and rice and cook for about 25 minutes, until the rice and meat are tender. Drain, discarding the water then set aside to cool. Once cool, finely shred and chop the salt meat.
In a bowl, mix the rice, meat and coconut with the chopped herbs and spices, adding salt and sugar to taste. Pour over the strained blood then stir to mix, ensuring the rice grains are evenly coated and free of lumps.
Fill the runners using a funnel, making sure that there is no space left after filling.
Tie the ends of the runners and boil gently for about 30 minutes, until the filling is solid and the skins are tender. Prick with a skewer to test for 'dampness'. When thoroughly cooked, the blood will congeal around the grains of rice.
When completely finished, allow it to cool and darken before brushing with oil.
To serve, slice the pudding into rounds and fry in oil. Traditionally it's served with mango sour for breakfast.
