Pudding and Souse

                                                                               Receta en Español

Pudding and Souse is a traditional dish in Barbados,it is usual to take it on saturdays.

'Souse' is mainly pork and cucumber marinated in lime juice. This is a dish for brave people because one of its ingredients is the hottest pepper in the world Pimiento Scotch bonnet, it is much more spicy than a 'jalapeño'.

The parts of the pig usually in this dish are ears,hands and snout,but you can also use pork loin as I did :-).

The pudding that accompanies the 'Souse' is made of sweet potato, years ago they were used to add pig blood to give a darker color to the pudding, nowadays they use food colouring or leave it with the natural color of the sweet potato.

This dish has a good taste and it lasts a lot of days, given that it is marinated.

Take into account that we must prepare it at least 6 hours before lunch or better the day before.

Ingredients for Souse:

• 700 grams of pork loin.
• 1 onion.
• 2 o 3 cucumber.
• Pepper Scotch bonnet (or other type of chilli).
• Juice of 3 limes.
• Chopped parseley.
• 2 bay leaves.
• Some peppercorns.
• Salt.

Ingredients for the Pudding:

•   600 grams of sweet potato.
•   1/2 teaspoon of thyme.
•   1/2 teaspoon marjoram.
•   1 teaspoon of chive.
•   Pepper Scotch bonnet (or other type of chilli).
•   A pinch of sugar.
•   A pinch of salt.
•   60 grams of butter.

Method for the Souse:

1-  Salt pork loin both sides, besides, sprinkle some lime juice over both sides too, let stand for 30 minutes.

You can see at the pictures the differences after 30 minutes. 

2-  Wash the meat and put it in a pot with some boiling water , bay leaves and peppercorns. Let it cook for 1 hour at medium - low heat.

3- Place the meat under cold water to let it get cool fast , then cut it into stripes 1 centimeter dick. Cut cucumber into slices , cut onions in little pieces. Place everything in a crystal bowl.

4- Add salt, lime juice and some water until all the ingredients are covered. Let stand at least for 6 hours (at room temperature).  If you let it stand more time it will be better. It must be served at room temperature accompanied by the sweet potato pudding.



Method for the Pudding:

5-  Peel and grate the sweet potatos.

6-  Instead of grating the sweet potato you can also use a food processor to crush them.

7-  Put the sweet potato in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients for the pudding (thyme, marjoram, sugar, salt, chive,Pepper Scotch bonnet) , mix well.

  

8-  butter  an oven proof recipient , then put the pudding inside and pour the rest of the butter over the pudding.





 9-  Preheat oven at 350 º C for 10 minutes, then cook for 30 minutes at the same temperature.

My comments to the Recipe

The lime sour mixed with the pudding sweet is a great mixture, besides the spicy is a very refreshing combination. Because of the lime the chilli itching vanish little by little after some days.





Barbados