Blutwurst are a type of German sausage prepared from pigs blood, milk (sometimes with the addition of cream), fat, onions, salt, pepper, nutmeg, marjoram and cinnamon.
The specific ingredients of the dish can vary from region to region. The main characteristic of this Blutwurst is its signature reddish color. Blood sausage is a common ingredient in kitchens throughout Germany, particularly in Bavarian cuisine. In our blutwurst recipe, we have used liver with puree and sauerkraut.
Origin & Cultural Significance
Blood sausage is considered to be one of the oldest types of sausages and has been produced and consumed since ancient times. The famous Greek poet Homer mentioned goat stomachs filled with blood and fat in the 18th song of his work Odysee.
The energizing blood soup of the Spartan warriors from classical antiquity (around 500 BC) is another hint to the origins of using animal blood as an ingredient. From this point on, it was probably not too long until the production of the blood sausage became widespread. According to one legend, the tyrant Lykourgos gave his troops a mystical black soup with blood, bacon and onions claiming that the dish would make the warriors of Sparta invincible.
The blood sausage was a well-known specialty in ancient Rome. There are some mentions of blood sausage by the Roman poet Martial (approx. 40 to 104 AD) and by the Germanic people. The Roman black pudding was called “Butulie”, which they used to eat during their festivities to honor the gods.
These days, various versions of blood sausage are eaten all over the world, with the British Black Pudding being one of the most well-known. But there are also hundreds of other dishes throughout Europe, Asia, North America and South America that include some variation of blood sausage.
German Blutwurst (Blood Sausage) Recipe
Ingredients
- Onions - 2
- Clarified butter- 1 tbsp
- Sauerkraut - 600g
- Meat soup - 350ml
- Caraway seeds- 1 tsp
- Peppercorns - ½ tsp
- Juniper berries - 4
- Bay leaves - 2
- Floury potatoes - 600g
- Blood sausages - 4
- Liver sausages - 4
- Milk (3.5% fat) - 150 ml
- Butter - 40g
- Nutmeg - 1 tsp
- Salt - to taste
Instructions
- Peel and cut an onion into strips. Heat the clarified butter in a saucepan and sauté the onion for 1-2 minutes until translucent. Mix in the well-drained sauerkraut and deglaze with the broth.
- Crush caraway seeds, pepper and juniper in a mortar and add to the cabbage along with the bay leaves. Sprinkle salt and cook covered over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Peel and wash the potatoes and cook in salted boiling water for 25-30 minutes.
- Put the sausages in a saucepan with boiling salted water and heat in it for about 10 minutes, but do not boil.
- Drain the potatoes, let the water evaporate and press through a potato press. Heat the milk, add to the potatoes with 20g butter. Season the potatoes with salt and freshly grated nutmeg and stir everything into a creamy puree.
- Peel the remaining onion and cut it into rings. Heat the remaining butter in a pan and brown the onion in it. Garnish the puree with the onion butter, seasoned cabbage and drained sausages on plates and serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 910Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 250mgCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 35g