puddingy salad!
April 30, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Some days food is to be laboured over in the golden kitchen. Other days, the evenings are long and bright – the doing of things and stuff and activities and hobbies and distractions takes the place of meal planning. It’s late, we’re tired, the fridge is opened, stuff is taken out and consumed. If they reach a plate with the addition of some flavour and interest it’s a bonus.
Well today was one of the those days. I was so hungry I would have eaten a raw wellie, and husband was making that scary noise he makes when it’s past his feeding time and his blood sugar levels are dropping. I can’t really decribe it, but when he makes it I know he’s grumpy-hungry and I know the only way of making him stop is for him to eat. Soon! The pressure was on. I stood at the open door of the fridge, took out a few things that would be ready within a few minutes and started…
Black pudding is one of those things I don’t think too much about. Not that I’m one of those squeamish folk who balk at the idea of black pudding being made of pig’s blood. I think it’s kinda neat that you can make something so yum with blood, oats, and a few spices. I don’t think too much about it because as long as it’s Clonakilty black pudding, there’s not a lot you can’t do to it that won’t be delicious. I don’t know what their secret is – but personally I think it’s the nicest black pudding you can buy.
So today I chopped it into think chunky slices and fried it gently on a low heat with only a bare dribble of oil in the pan. I forgot to take a photo of it in the pan, so here it ‘raw’ – in all its piggy blood and fatty splendour…
To stop it all falling apart from slicing and cooking, I usually chop it with the wrapping still on, then just slide a knife under the plastic wrapping of each slice and remove. Today though I’m going to be mashing it up after cooking anyway so it didn’t matter too much.
While that’s getting nicely browned in the pan, I made some toast. All I had on hand was some of that half-white-half-brown sliced pan that husband uses in his sandwiches for work lunches, so I cut it with a round cutter to make it look like I’d put some effort into the aesthetics…
I had some leftover stewed apple in the fridge and apples, especially tart ones, are perfect for cutting through the rich flavour of the pudding. Here’s a photo of the wee dish of it – but it’s not very exciting…
So when the pudding was fried, I put it a bowl and smushed it up a bit with a fork. Then, slathered a slice of toast with the stewed apple, topped with a generous dollop of the black pudding. Added another slice of toast slathered in apple, and more pudding.
I dressed some leaves and grated carrot, then chopped some cherry tomatoes, feta and olives, smothered them with a glug of nice olive oil and lashings of black pepper…
…and finally…. threw them at the plated up little towers of appley puddingy toast. Luckily, they landed ok… and I had just enough time to snap a quick shot before hungry husband ate my camera….
Nom!
