Verivorst (Estonian Blood Sausage) Recipe, Estonia

Serves: 6

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 1.5-2 hours

Ingredients

For the Sausage Filling:

· 1 litter (4 cups) pork blood, fresh or frozen

· 500 g (1.1 lbs) pearl barley

· 300 g (10 oz) lard or lard, finely chopped

· 2 large onions, finely chopped

· 2 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 tsp ground allspice

· 1 tsp marjoram

· 1 tsp ground black pepper

· 1 tbsp salt (adjust to taste)

· For the Sausage Casings:

2-3 meters of natural pork intestines (cleaned and soaked in water)

Instructions

Cook the barley:

Rinse the pearl barley under cold water. Cook in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender but not mushy (about 30-40 minutes). Drain and set aside to cool.

Prepare the lard and onions:

In a frying pan over medium heat, fry the lard until it begins to crisp. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the onions until golden. Add the minced garlic and fry for 1 minute. Mix with the rendered fat and leave to cool.

Make the filling:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled barley, lard, onion and garlic. Gradually pour in the pig’s blood and mix well to achieve a cohesive mixture. The consistency should be slightly loose, but not runny. Season with salt, pepper, allspice and marjoram. Taste the mixture and adjust seasoning as needed (some people fry a small portion to taste before stuffing the sausages).

Prepare the casings:

Rinse the soaked pork casings thoroughly in fresh water. Check for holes by running water through them.

Stuff the sausages:

Using a sausage stuffier or funnel, carefully fill the casings with the blood mixture. Be careful not to overfill to prevent bursting. Tie off the ends and twist the sausages into manageable lengths, about 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) each.

Cook the sausages:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer (not boiling). Carefully place the sausages in the water and cook for about 20 minutes. Prick any air bubbles with a needle during cooking. Remove and let cool completely.

Fry or bake before serving:

To serve, fry the sausages in a pan with butter or bake in the oven at 200°C (390°F) until the skins are crispy and browned (10-15 minutes).

Serving suggestion:

Serve Verivorst with sauerkraut, lingon berry jam, and roasted potatoes for a traditional Estonian feast.