One question we’re asked very often is – what is the difference between Black Pudding, Boudin Noir, and Morcilla?
All three are variants of the same blood pudding, but as anyone who has eaten all three types will tell you, they are completely different.

Black pudding is a British classic, and is popular as part of a hearty cooked breakfast. Made by mixing pig meat, fat and blood with oats and spices, black pudding is quite dense, with a bite from the oats and added flavour from the spices. White pudding is also available, which is made to the exact same recipe as black pudding, including pork and pork fat, but without the blood.

Boudin Noir is the French equivalent, and it tends to be a much smoother version of blood pudding. Also made with pigs’ blood, boudin noir contains very finely-chopped cooked onions, instead of oats, and has fewer spices. This gives Boudin Noir added sweetness, and a smoother texture – almost like pate. Some varieties of Boudin Noir also contain cooked apple of pear, which again adds to the sweetness.

Morcilla is the Spanish version of a blood pudding, and is different again. There are several varieties of Morcilla, but the two most popular are Burgos and León. Both types originate from the North of Spain, however the Burgos contains rice as a base, and the León contains chopped cooked onions, and is more similar to a French pudding, although with a more course texture.

All three varieties of blood pudding are cooked as part of the manufacturing process, and supplied ready to eat. In Spain especially, Morcilla is often served cold. However, our less-adventurous British tastes prefer our Black Pudding heated through, and we recommend cutting it into slices and frying in butter until piping hot. This gives the pudding a delicious crust which really adds to the flavour and texture of the finished product.

Black pudding is most often served in the UK as part of a cooked English breakfast. However it is fairly common to see it on the menu in restaurants served alongside scallops as a starter. We love the richness of blood pudding with egg yolk, it really is delicious, and if you have the time to make your own Scotch eggs with black pudding, you won't regret it. We particularly like this recipe from River Cottage.

For more information please see:
Black Pudding
Boudin Noir
Morcilla

29th October 2015

We are now just 3 months away from the main event of the culinary year Christmas Dinner!

If you're going to be the one with the enormous responsibility of cooking dinner, not only are you brave, but you're probably starting to think about what you'll be feeding your guests.

Here at Keevils we stock a range of Christmas meats online, but the stars of our show are Turkey, Geese and Capon.

Because we are on Smithfield Market, it means we have unrivalled access to the best meat suppliers in the land, and that always gives us an advantage, but especially at Christmas.

We have our pick of farmers and meat suppliers, and we can alternate between them if the quality or quantity isn't consistent enough for us. This is important all year, but particularly it means our customers can rely on us to supply the best Christmas meats in the country.

All of the turkeys we sell are British Freerange Bronze Turkeys. They are the Rolls Royce of the turkey world. Raised on independent farms and fed a natural diet, our turkeys are left to roam during the day until they return to their barn to rest their weary heads at night. Bronze turkeys are the black-feathered variety, and they are renowned for having a fuller flavour and their meat is more tender and moist than their white-feathered counterparts.

Our Geese are taken from small farms, mainly in East Anglia, and they are freerange. Once slaughtered they are left to hang for 5 days, in which time the meat develops into rich and tender deliciousness. Although Geese release a lot of fat when cooked, if you collect it you can keep it for up to a year in the fridge, and it makes the best roast potatoes ever (we promise).

Our Capon are reared especially for us in Northern France, and are completely freerange and fed on a corn-based diet. The farming of capon caponisation is illegal in the UK, which is why we buy in these authentic French birds. English Capon that you may find for sale aren't true Capons and will be in fact a large, old, chicken, and will be a massive disappointment. True capon are flavoursome and tender, and this is why Capon have been our most popular Christmas meat for several years now.

We will also again be stocking Three Bird Roasts in the next few weeks, so do keep an eye out for them. Also known as a Royal Roast or Bird-in-a-Bird, they are made by combining 3 birds to make a large, boneless roasting joint. Hand made for us in Warwickshire from free range birds – choose from Guinea Fowl, Turkey breast and Duck; Pheasant, Chicken and Goose; or Pheasant, Duck, and Turkey. They make a great alternative to a traditional Christmas bird, and they are really good quality, convenient and an impressive dish to serve. When you cut through them the slices will show the different-coloured meats, it’s a real talking point.

And when you’ve chosen the meat you’ll be enjoying on the 25th, it’s time to think about what you’ll be serving alongside it. The sides can really make or break a Christmas dinner. There has to be roast potatoes (cooked in goose fat, of course), but then it’s up to you. We love Jamie Oliver’s cheesy leeks, and he has loads of ideas for Christmas dinner side dishes here.

Our Christmas delivery slots are now open, so once you've decided what you'll be eating, you can book your space. We are delivering up until Wednesday 23rd December, and orders must be placed by 9pm on Sunday 20th December to guarantee you receive your Christmas meats before the big day.

25th September 2015