Traditional Greek Blood Sausage

A dark, dense filling punctuated by white rice grains and crunchy pine nuts. The scent of cinnamon and cloves escapes as soon as the grilled, taut skin is sliced.

• Prep time: 45 min
• Cook time: 60 min
• Difficulty: Hard
• Calories: 545
• Protein: 40 g
• Carbs: 39 g
• Fat: 25 g

Ingredients

• 500 ml Beef blood ( fresh )
• 200 g Ground pork ( lean )
• 100 g White rice ( raw )
• 2 piece Onion ( finely chopped )
• 30 g Pine nut ( whole )
• 50 g Raisin ( rehydrated )
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1 pinch Clove ( ground )
• 1 tsp Gray sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper ground
• 1 piece Pork casing ( cleaned and desalted )

Instructions

1. Sweat the onions

   Finely mince the onions. Sweat them in olive oil without browning until they are translucent and soft.

2. Sear the meat and rice

   Add the ground pork. Brown slightly. Pour in the white rice and pine nuts to toast for one minute; the rice should become pearly.

3. Prepare the mixture

   Remove from heat and pour in the beef blood. Add the raisins, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper. Mix until the binding is smooth and consistent.

4. Stuffing

   Stuff the preparation into the pork casing. Do not pack too tightly as the rice will expand. Tie the ends with butcher's twine.

5. Poaching

   Submerge the sausage in simmering (not boiling) water. Cook until the sausage is firm to the touch. Prick slightly to check that the escaping juices are clear.

6. Pan-sear

   Drain and then brown the sausage in a pan with a drizzle of oil. The skin should be crispy and crack when bitten.

Chef's tips

• Do not overfill the casings; the rice doubles in volume during cooking and may burst the skin.
• The poaching water must never boil; maintain a gentle simmer to keep the texture supple.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the refrigerator after poaching. Can be frozen once cooked.