Blood sausage cooking

I've been on an Eastern European cooking kick for some reason (the goulash turned out great, I got the paprika at the Spice House, thanks for the tip) and so I went to check out Kasia's Pierogi. I had the sweetbreads thread on the mind, was thinking of Tango Sur's blood sausage, and promptly bought a big link of it at Kasia's. However, it appears it is uncooked. Should I boil it, saute it, what? Also, do I take the casing off before or after cooking it? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

HI,

If the blood is coagulated (cooked), then it is cooked. I mean this isn't a liquid encapsulated in a casing, is it? I presume it is coagulated, thus otherwise cooked. So are we really wondering how to reheat it? I would suggest a gentle simmering treatment is what is required, beyond that really I don't know.

My Dad favors German blood sausage with bits of fat studded in it, which we slice and eat. So we never had to puzzle over reheating.

I look forward to what anyone else can offer. It will be a learning experience for me as well.

The blood is indeed coagulated. My confusion stems from the fact that when I asked the woman behind the counter if it was precooked or not, her response was to boil it, so I got paranoid that I was just going to be driinking straight blood if I didn't cook it.

I cook Irish black and white pudding on a regular basis. Black pudding is, essentially, blood sausage. White pudding is...other stuff. Generally, I slice the rings into one inch slices and broil them. I like them crispy on the outside, so that's how I tell when they are done. You can also pan fry them in a bit of butter or fat. My mom always broiled them, so that's what I do.

If the Polish blood sausage is at all similar (and it seems like it may be from your description), that is how I would prepare it. Do not remove the casing, as the consistency of this type of blood sausage is crumbly, and will disinegrate into its component parts--leaving you with a rather unappetizing puddle of coagulated, thickened blood, liquified fat, mystery meat, and whatever cereal they use as filler.

"MMMMMM...liquified fat"

I've been wondering the same thing about the cooked morcilla-by-the-pound you get at various places in Humboldt Park. Does anyone know of a source for uncooked ones, and if so, how do you cook them?

I would be careful, although blood sausage is normally sold cooked (I believe this is a health issue) blood can be coaglulated by other means (like raw milk proteins).

I would suggest steaming for a good measure, just to be sure. I don't think overcooking is a problem, though bursting encasement may be.

pd

if the sausage you are talking about is polish kiszka my mom always just browned it lightly in a pan and mixed it with our eggs for breakfast. but my dad and brother ate it sliced cold for sandwiches. I am not sure if it is what you have though. kiszka has a lot of barley in it.