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Yes...you have read that correctly...Black Pudding on a vegan blog. lol. I recently found a recipe for black pudding in Linda Majzlik's The Vegan Taste of the Caribbean
Now as a life long vegetarian I have never...NEVER..eaten the meat version. I have horrible memories of watching my Grandad and Great Uncles consuming the horrid pudding on thier plates of cooked breakfasts on high days and holidays. Thankfully it wasn't an everyday experience. And I remember being horrified when I asked what was actually in Black Pudding. OK I admit it..it actually made me physically sick. Even as a very small child eating meat and meat products made me feel ill and I had a overwhelming sense that it was wrong..for me!
So you may ask why I have made this vegan version? I did ask myself that when I realised I was thinking about making it to go with our up coming Sunday brunch. At first I was shocked when I found the recipe...then I read the ingredients and was intrigued..and then I found myself checking my cupboards for the items off the list. Because reading the recipe it sounded really tasty and something I would make happily if it didn't have the 'Black Pudding' label.
Decision made I started to get the ingredients together. But then made a massive blunder by not reading the recipe correctly and missed a 2 hour chilling instruction! Oh dear! lol. So it never made it to the brunch but I decided to go ahead and make it anyway as I had started it. Blunder no 2 came in the form of the beans...My Love mashed them for me but read the selection wrong so I had mashed black eyed beans and not black beans. lol. This was turning into an epic recipe! lol.
It actually comes together very easily once you have soaked the TVP for the hour. And mine fitted into a small loaf tin and I also didn't spread margarine over the top of it. I spread a thin layer of sunflower oil...very thin. I have to admit the smell as it cooked was amazing..heady savoury! lol. I also baked it for the minimum time of 35 minutes as it was looking very cooked by then!
The results...and we sat with a slice each to test this specially. lol. It bares no resemblance to it's meaty counterpart (thank goodness ~R~) It is very tasty and all the ingredients go together well. We both decided that if nothing else it was a very lovely veggie loaf and would happily eat it with roast veggies and green leafy's. I have to say neither of us have tried the meat version so can't say whether it tastes similar and to be honest I hope it doesn't. As it is...it is rather splendid and I would happily make it again.
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| Vegan Black Pudding warm from the oven..ready to be tested. |
(Recipe from A Vegan Taste of the Caribbean/Majzlik)
8oz/225g cooked black beans or black eyed beans, mashed
3oz/75g mushrooms, wiped and finely chopped
2oz/50g porridge oats
1oz/25g TVP granules
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4fl oz/125ml veggie stock
1 dsp veggie oil
1 dsp soy sauce
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp thyme
black pepper
vegan margarine or sunflower oil
Add the TVP to the stock, cover and leave for 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions and garlic until softened. Add the mushrooms and fry until the juices begin to run, then remove from the heat. Add the soaked TVP to the pan with the remaining ingredients, apart for the margarine or sunflower oil. Mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into a 7 x7" baking tin or small loaf tin. Press down firmly and evenly, cover and CHILL for 2 HOURS! Spread a little margarine or oil over the top, then bake in a preheated oven at 200'C/400'F/Gas Mark 6 for 35-40 minutes until browned. Carefully turn out of the tin and cut into 6 equal portions and serve with a salad garnish.
Enjoy!
~R~
