Kaszanka Domowa - Polish Black Pudding

Kaszanka Domowa - Polish Black Pudding

I enjoy black pudding and regular readers of the blog will have read my previous pontifications on this semi maligned style of snarler. I was in Park Ave Quality Meats recently and spied a new variety I had not sampled previously, so of course I had to purchase some. It was called Kaszanka Domowa, a Polish style black pudding – I purchased two sausages to sample at home.

These bangers cooked up nicely and with four people keen to sample and only two sausages it was morsels for savouring all round. I will admit that I expected something quite different to the taste I experienced. When I think of Polish sausages I think of big flavours, while this sausage has a subdued flavour. It lacks the heat and pepper that most black puddings have but the flavour is complex and subtle, lingering on the palate. This was very enjoyable black pudding. If you are looking to sample a pudding that will appeal to wide range, and you prefer a more delicate flavour then this could be the one for you. This is an excellent sausage and I am keen to buy more.

Cost per kilo: $19.99

The Bespoke Banger

The Bespoke Banger

In the world of instant communication it is interesting to find out about new initiatives happening across the globe. Here is a story about the Northumberland Sausage Company and their new venture into making bespoke snarlers in a market in Newcastle.

I would be keen to visit, but I suspect the chance of me being in Newcastle in the near future is very slim. All the best for this new venture. I guess I will just have to creative in my own kitchen.

For a full copy of the story click here.

Сколько стоит эта колбаса?

Сколько стоит эта колбаса?

We were at friends for an informal dinner at the end of the working week last night. I was perusing their bookcase and pulled out a book – The Penguin Russian Course, A Complete Course for Beginners. Published in 1958, this could have been the essential guide for those wanting to master the Russian language during the era of the Cold War.

I randomly opened it to page 131, and at the top of the page was the following:

Translate into Russian:

1. How much does this sausage cost? One rouble a kilo? That’s too expensive. Give me some ham please.
 

Rather than read the whole book, I went to the translate function on the PC. The answer is:

Сколько стоит эта колбаса? Один рубль Кило? Это слишком дорого. Дайте мне, пожалуйста, некоторые ветчины.

Guess this goes to show that sausages really are a universal food. It is great to see that in the late 1950s Penguin recognised the value of using snarlers as a tool to teach the Russian language.

The Celebratory Breakfast - Whew!

The Celebratory Breakfast – Whew!

We had friends round to watch the final of the Rugby World Cup so the alarm was set for 4.40am. I didn’t think I could stumble out of bed at 4.58am and wander into the lounge in a state of semi undress with guests present, so I wore my lucky All Blacks jersey - the one I wore to the 2011 final. To date this has a 100% strike rate – after today I’ll be wearing it for a while…..

 

 

The tension was high. The tries either side of half time made it feel comfortable before the Aussies put us back on the edges of our seats by coming back from 21-3 down to 21-17. However, as the second half drew to a close, we shut them out, and with a late try to Beauden Barrett the score was 34-17 at the final whistle. There was unrestrained joy in the room.

One of our guests was texting her daughter who was in rehearsals for a theatre production in Pittsburgh, USA. She had half her mind on the production, and half on her NZ heritage.

 

 

 

Soon after the final whistle, I started on the cooking a breakfast of champions. We had black pudding, chorizo criollo and bacon from Park Ave Quality Meats, chicken lemon and sage sausages from Cameron Harrison, hash browns and eggs. For those wanting a cold breakfast there was bircher muesli and yoghurt. Most people washed this down with champagne and orange juice, or a plain juice.

The black pudding, an old English recipe, won a bronze medal at the recent Devro NZ Sausage Awards. It is a mixed texture pudding, very large chunks and finer parts within the casing. It has a soft texture in the mouth - the flavours are pleasant and quite mild. Our daughter is at home for the weekend - she wanted to know if she could take some leftover black pudding back to her flat. Although not everybody sampled it, those who did really enjoyed the taste and flavours.

 

 

The chicken sausage has elements of lemon and sage complementing the chicken. One guest was especially effusive about this snarler. Lemon is not a flavour I particularly like, however this is a quality chicken sausage that will appeal to those who like some lemon tartness to accentuate the chicken.

The guests all enjoyed my favourite sausage, the chorizo criollo. These are always good.

The mood of the breakfast was joyful as we talked over the match, and wondered where to from here? Both my wife and I and another couple mused about the possibility of a trip to Japan in four years’ time…. Somehow I think sausages probably won’t be on the menu for breakfast if we are there.

Cost: Chicken lemon and sage - $21.99kg.

Black Pudding - $16.99 for a tube.