Food
Fact-checked

At WiseGEEK, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

How do I Make White Pudding?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

The way in which you make white pudding will typically be determined by the recipe you are following, as well as your own tastes and preferences. You will usually begin with the type of meat you wish to use, often beef suet, though lamp and pork can both be used as well. The fillers and seasonings you intend to use with the meat should also be considered. These are all added together to create the filling for the sausage casings. You can fill sausage casings with the filling you prepare, and then cook your white pudding by boiling them in a large pot of water or you may want to fry the pudding before serving.

White pudding, also known as Hog’s pudding and mealy pudding, is a popular dish in Ireland, Scotland, and regions such as Nova Scotia and certain portions of England. It is somewhat similar to black pudding, though black pudding is prepared using animal blood, while white pudding contains meat instead. You can find a number of different recipes for white pudding, and the recipe you follow will often affect the ingredients you use. In general, however, you should begin by considering the type of meat you wish to include in your sausages.

White pudding often includes barley.
White pudding often includes barley.

Many recipes for white pudding call for beef suet, which is animal fat that may be combined with meat. Other recipes call for both suet and pieces of meat, and some recipes call for pork or lamb meat instead. Early recipes for this type of sausage utilized lamb brains as a binding agent in the mixture, though this has largely been abandoned.

The meat should be combined with various fillers and seasonings, similar to how ground beef is used in making meatballs or meatloaf. You can choose from a number of different fillers, though toasted oatmeal, breadcrumbs, barley, and minced onion are all popular choices. This is combined with the meat in a bowl, along with various spices such as salt, pepper, allspice, thyme, and marjoram. Once the filling for your white pudding is made, it is typically stuffed into sausage casings, which can often be purchased from butchers and specialty grocery stores.

Dried marjoram, which is often included in white pudding.
Dried marjoram, which is often included in white pudding.

You may then want to cook the white pudding by placing the sausages into a large pot of boiling water. As the sausages boil, you should consider poking them with a fork to allow steam to escape, which can keep the sausages from bursting. You can then serve the white sausage straight from the pot, though many people prefer to slice and fry them before serving.

Discussion Comments

nextcorrea

I have a cookbook that is completely dedicated to Irish food. Last summer I tried making white pudding sausage. I had never had white pudding and never tried to make sausage before but the picture made it look so good that I just had to try.

The results were really delicious. I made a lot more than I could eat so I had some in my fridge for almost a week. I got in the habit of eating it for breakfast with my eggs and toast.

whiteplane

I studied in Scotland for 6 months and I fell in love with the food while I was over there. I know that British food often gets insulted for being bland and fatty but I think that is an oversimplification. There are tons of amazing and unique British dishes and white pudding is one of my favorites.

There was a pub close to where I was staying that made my favorite version. It had lots of meat and a little bit of spice which made the dish more interesting than it normally would. In Scotland there are clever chefs all over the place coming up with interesting twists on classic dishes.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • White pudding often includes barley.
      White pudding often includes barley.
    • Dried marjoram, which is often included in white pudding.
      Dried marjoram, which is often included in white pudding.