Black Pudding Sauce

I'll admit, black pudding isn't for everyone. Quite apart from the mental pause it'll give most people when they remember they're essentially eating blood paste, the spicing can be a little heavy and the texture is a bit cloying.

A little while ago I had a black pudding bread sauce at a restaurant, and it was lovely. The spice was more mellow and the texture unctuous without being gummy. In retrospect I could have asked what they put in it or how they made it, but where's the fun in that? And when I saw that you could get a four slice pack of black pudding in my local Tesco for the grand price of £1.29, that pretty much clinched it. Here's my attempt at a recreation.
 
You will need:

300g black pudding (1 full four slice pack)
1 medium sized onion
100g breadcrumbs
1 pint beef stock
1/2 pint bitter
salt and pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar

Chop the onion and black pudding into small pieces, and start frying in a large saucepan until the onion is just about cooked and the black pudding starts to soften. Add the breadcrumbs and stir thoroughly. Add the hot beef stock and beer slowly, stirring as you do so. Keep simmering on a low heat, stirring occasionally until thick and glossy (about 10-15 min).

Once the basic sauce is complete add the salt, pepper, vinegar and sugar to taste. You'll want to be quite generous with the salt and pepper especially.

Sausage, mash and blood. Classic.

This makes about a pint and a bit of sauce, and, full disclosure, it's not the prettiest thing in the world. I believe the colour can be described as 'brunge'. However, it is thick, meaty, and tasty.  I generally use it instead of gravy, especially with mash, but you can also add more hot stock to make a delicious soup. Just remember that it is delicious, and you're not just eating blood soup.