World Flavors Cookbook

Verivorst (Blood Sausage)

Name: Verivorst (Blood Sausage)
Cook time: 60 min
Cuisine: Estonia
Ingredients: 1kg barley groats 500ml blood (pork or beef) 200g smoked pork fat or bacon, diced 2 onions, finely chopped 1 tsp dried marjoram 1/2 tsp allspice Salt and black pepper Natural sausage casings (pig intestines)

Estonia's national dish; a traditional winter sausage made with barley groats and blood, essential for Christmas Eve.

Cuisine: Estonia

Ingredients

1kg barley groats 500ml blood (pork or beef) 200g smoked pork fat or bacon, diced 2 onions, finely chopped 1 tsp dried marjoram 1/2 tsp allspice Salt and black pepper Natural sausage casings (pig intestines)

Instructions

1. Boil the barley groats in salted water until soft but still holding their shape. Let cool. 2. Sauté the diced fat/bacon and onions in a pan until golden and fragrant. 3. In a large bowl, mix the cooled barley, blood, sautéed onions/fat, and spices. 4. Clean the casings thoroughly. 5. Stuff the mixture into the casings, tying them into links about 10-15cm long. Do not overstuff as they expand. 6. Place the sausages in a pot of hot (not boiling) water and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Prick them with a needle if they look like they might burst. 7. Before serving, roast the sausages in the oven at 200°C (400°F) for about 15-20 minutes until the skin is crispy. 8. Serve with lingonberry jam and boiled potatoes.