Black and White Puddings

[James Hood]

Check this out.

http://www.jollyposh.com/

In metro Chicago, the real thing is available from Spencer's . 'Been patronizing them for years and have some bangers in the refrigerator for grilling tomorrow.

Spencer's were at the Chicago Highland Festival last few years as well, cooking for the crowd. Highest recommendation.

[HarveyH]

Black Pudding - but which sort - there is a real issue here:

Irish Black and White puddings invariably have pearl barley in them. Lovely and just about my favourite but not the same as Scottish Black Pudding, or more particularly, Stornoway Black Pudding, which is a moist close textured blood sausage with sottish oatmeal in it. The other major type of black pudding in the UK, is Lancashire (or more particularly Bury) black pudding, which is notable for larger piece of fat within the pudding. I'm glad to know that some blood puddings are available in the US particularly as here in the UK they have just become the latest 'super-food'.

As for Bacon there is a very good us web-site which explains both the differences and how to cure your own bacon if you really want the full breakfast experience http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2010/...h-rashers.html .

I should only add that in addition to all of this, with a full Scottish breakfast I have been served slices of fried haggis and slices of fried clootie dumpling - ( http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/clootiedumpling.htm ). The need to eat anything else for the day is limited after plate of bacon, fried eggs, sausages, black pudding, haggis, dumpling, fried mushrooms, a fried slice - of course as well as tea and toast.

But my Ulster friend tells me that he would think pudding with breakfast would be a rare thing on an Ulster Fry. Soda and Potato Farls, stewed plum tomatoes (the tinned sort), bacon, sausage but not pudding (and possibly gammon instead of bacon if it was a main mean rather than breakfast).

But I rather think the more on the plate the better.

[ThistleDown]

Canadian Bacon is usually cut from the back of the boneless loin, usually lean with little fat.

American Bacon is cured belly of swine, a combination of meat and fat from the belly of the pig; it’s called ‘steaky bacon ‘ in Scotland.

Scottish/Irish Bacon is cut from the loin back of the pig, similar to that of Canadian but with the added fat surrounding the meat. Ayrshire Bacon is vat-cured, skinless, boneless side with just the fatty tail left on.

English Bacon is similar to that of Canadian, but often smoked or cured.

Talk to your local butcher. He should be able to provide you with any of the above bacons, or at least to give you sources. As for black pudding? Off you go to Stornaway 'cause there's nothing anywhere to compete.

[John_Carrick]

Scottish, Irish and English bacon are pretty much the same from what I can see. The cheap stuff from the supermarket will shrivel up to nothing when cooked, good quality bacon will not.

Sometimes in Scotland you get Lorne sausage, which is square, flat and skinless.

Here in Norn Iron a farl tends to be called a "soda", not to be confused with soda bread. I have no textbook definition of an Ulster fry, but the essentials would seem to be bacon, sausage, potato bread, toast and fried egg. Black pudding, tomato, mushrooms, baked beans and even hash browns are sometime included. In the Republic, soda bread is more common and also white pudding is popular, although goodness knows why since it is horrible!

[WalesLax]

I will second JollyPosh. I used to live a few blocks away and they were fantastic - now that I am further away, their mail-order services are excellent as well.

Check this out.

http://www.jollyposh.com/

In metro Chicago, the real thing is available from Spencer's . 'Been patronizing them for years and have some bangers in the refrigerator for grilling tomorrow.

Spencer's were at the Chicago Highland Festival last few years as well, cooking for the crowd. Highest recommendation.

[AFS1970]

I think Argyle Fish & Chips in Kearney NJ ships them but I am not sure. I am a bit spoiled in that there is a super market in town that stocks both black and white. It is owned by Italians, but is in a neighborhood where they get a lot of West Indians and as such carry a lot of British foods.

[Standard]

Check this out.

http://www.jollyposh.com/

In metro Chicago, the real thing is available from Spencer's . 'Been patronizing them for years and have some bangers in the refrigerator for grilling tomorrow.

Spencer's were at the Chicago Highland Festival last few years as well, cooking for the crowd. Highest recommendation.

I got the impression from the JollyPosh's website that they were now only supplying to grocers, and not doing individual orders. I saw them up at the Chicago Highland Games in the past, and had dug up one of their business cards.

[Jack Daw]

Here is one of the best Scottish breakfasts I had, out of several great ones.
This is from The Water of Leith cafe in Edinburgh.


Clockwise from the beans at the top, a sausage and you can see the bacon right under peeking out. Pancetta seems too thin to me, but procuitto might be closer. IMO, "Canadian bacon" (as available in California) or a thin cut piece of ham would be closest. Toast and tomato next. Potato scone, then black pudding and haggis with a roasted mushroom at top-left of the beans. A fried egg in the center. Scottish breakfast tea and brown sauce accompanied.

Potato scones really are wonderful with breakfast. I hear they are easy to make, so will be trying that.

YUM! For my first time in Scotland in 2003, I ate this almost everyday for the three weeks I was there vacationing. I gained 10 pounds despite burning lots of calories hiking Ben Cruachan and hiking about cemeteries, moors, and battlefields. It was worth it!