Whodunnit Dinners podcast #18 Season 2 Ep 8: Umberto Eco: monastic murders, Italian intrigue and bloody black pudding

It’s party time here at Whodunnit Dinners HQ - we’ve made it to the end of our second season of the podcast! We have now blossomed into full-grown podding maturity, having delivered an impressive *18* podcasts to the public. Sadly, our largely unsophisticated and at times downright ignorant content might lead you to suspect otherwise, but you can be the judge of that. 

Each Whodunnit Dinners podcast delves into at least one murder mystery story and a corresponding meal that might sit alongside it. This time round, Katie introduced Helen to one of her all-time favourite murder mystery novels: Umberto Eco’s ‘The Name of the Rose’. She had also previously challenged Helen to come up with a recipe involving black pudding, which was supposed to be a clue to the book she was planning to share. This was a massive and deeply unfair red herring because Helen then rightly thought the story was going to be set in northern England or Scotland, the home of black pudding, so came up with some brilliant deductions as to what book Katie was going to be sharing, before finding out that it was in fact a reference to the first murder in the story, which involved pig’s blood. Like, who knew. It was a very obscure clue and an utter waste of her time and Marple-esque detective skills, in her opinion.

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 

Fortunately, the book itself is clearly an absolute banger, so all is forgiven. 

‘The Name of the Rose’ is a historical murder mystery set in a Benedictine Abbey in Italy in 1327 and follows monks Adso of Melk and the English monk William of Baskerville, who come to investigate a mysterious murder. As the story develops, a chain of gruesome killings take place. The two monks gradually discover that the labyrinthine library holds the key to the truth. It’s a complex and thought-provoking read about the medieval church and the political power of the time. 

So on to the pig’s blood.  Yum!

What is black pudding? 

Black pudding is one of the most divisive ingredients out there. It’s made from animal blood, and usually from a pig, which rules out anybody of the Islamic or Jewish faith straight away. If it makes you squeamish, it’s worth remembering that it was originally made as a way to use up a plentiful by-product, making it an economical and ethical choice in that respect. 

To make it, the blood is mixed with fat and oatmeal, before being packed into casing. The sausage is then served boiled, fried or grilled and cut into rounds, or crumbled into small pieces. Blood sausages are served across the world – French ‘boudin noir’ and Spanish ‘morcilla’, for example. 

These days, the flavours have been replicated in simple vegetarian and vegan versions of the dish, using black beans, pearl barley, yeast extract and spices. 

The rise and rise of black pudding dishes

The earliest reference to black pudding can be traced back to Book 18 of Homer’s Odyssey, around 800 BC. The oldest actual recipe is said to be in a Roman compilation from the late 4th century AD. At that time, they didn’t use cereal to bind the blood, but chopped egg yolks, pine kernals, onion and leek. 

Leaping forward to the 20th century, black pudding has become a fashionable, gourmet addition to dishes in fine dining establishments across Europe, for its spicy, umami flavours and traditional history. According to her late father, the best comes from Scotland: 

Recipes using black pudding

Rather than share how to make black pudding from pig’s blood, which, let’s face it, needs expert knowledge, Helen dished up some modern plates that use black pudding to add flavour and texture. 

The first two are taken from the Seumas MacInnes recipe book owned by her Dad: The Stornoway Black Pudding Bible. 

How to make Black Pudding Mash (for 4) 

1.3 grams potatoes

300ml milk

110g spring onions, chopped

110g butter 

200g cooked black pudding, chopped 

1. Scrub and peel potatoes, chop and boil for 15-20 mins, until a fork goes into them easily.

2. Warm the milk and add to the drained potatoes in the pan.

3. Mash with a masher, ricer or hand mixer. 

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

5. Season and serve. 

How to make roasted asparagus with black pudding (for 4)

2 large bunches of asparagus

200g black pudding

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c / 350c / gas mark 4. 

2. Place asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle the tips with the oil.

3. Crumble the black pudding over the rest of the asparagus. 

4. Bake for 15 minutes or until the asparagus is cooked.

Or if you feel like something more adventurous: 

How to make pan-seared scallops with Stornoway black pudding

Ingredients

12 king scallops
12 slices black pudding
300g / 12oz carrots
50g / 2oz butter, unsalted
2 banana shallots
50g / 2oz plain flour
½ lemon
Few sprigs of dill, seasoning and oil

1. Peel and chop the carrots into even-sized pieces. Place the carrots into a pan with half of the butter and a little salt, cover with water and bring to the boil. Once the carrots have cooked, drain them into a colander over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid.

2. Pour the carrots into a liquidizer and blitz down. You might have to add some of the cooking liquid to get it going, but be careful not to add too much as it will make it too watery. Adjust the seasoning and put to one side. 

3. Next, evenly slice the black pudding. 

4. Cut the shallots into thin rings and dust with flour. 

5. In a small pan with a little oil, shallow fry until crisp and put to one side. 

6. Then, pop the black pudding into a moderate oven around 170°C. 

7. Lastly, it is time to cook the scallops; place a pan onto the heat and, once hot, add a little oil. Place the scallops into the pan in a clockwise direction so that you know what order the scallops went in the pan (and what order in which to remove them.) Once your first scallop has taken on some colour its ready to turn, so quickly turn all your scallops. 

8. Once they have all been turned, remove the pan from the heat, squeeze in some fresh lemon juice and the remainder of the butter. 

9. Coat all the scallops with the lemon and butter mixture and remove from the pan. Place the scallops onto some kitchen paper to absorb any excess butter.

10. By this time, the black pudding should be cooked – arrange the pudding onto the plate topped with the scallops and crispy shallots. Add the carrot puree and finish with a few sprigs of dill and onion seeds.

Listen to the podcast

You may not be particularly excited about trying one of the recipes included above, if black pudding is not your bag, but in spite of that, we would encourage you to tune into the podcast anyway, to hear Katie’s insights into a class historical whodunnit, and to help you decide if it is to your own reading taste. To hear the full Whodunnit Dinners podcast, go here.