Blood Sausage in Spanish

Blood sausage in Spanish is morcilla. Read on to learn more about this delicious delicacy!

If you’ve ever dined at a Spanish restaurant you may have come across blood sausage. Blood sausage in Spanish is known as morcilla, which is essentially a pork sausage infused with pig’s blood.

Whilst it may not sound appetizing, it is actually delicious, with a very unique and rich flavor.

Morcilla is made by mixing ground pork meat with the pig’s blood, seasonings and spices, chopped onions and rice. It is then piped into sausage casings, flash cooked to coagulate the blood and cured.

The most common way to eat morcilla is to cut it into thick slices, like you would with chorizo, and fry them in olive oil. These are then served alongside crusty bread, making a tapa.

Morcilla is also a great addition to stews, bringing a depth of flavor. You may even find it served up for breakfast alongside potatoes and eggs.

How does morcilla differs from chorizo?

Both types of sausage go through a curing period, but chorizo is cured for a much longer period of time, meaning it can be thinly sliced and consumed after curing.

Morcilla, on the other hand, is only semi-cured so it has to be cooked before consumption. For this reason also, morcilla has a much shorter shelf-life and needs to be cooked or frozen quite quickly.

The variation in ingredients used to make morcilla is another major difference. Chorizo is generally just made from pork, salt and seasoning.

Morcilla can also contain rice, onions, pine nuts, potatoes, and other flavors that make it unique.

A wonderfully tasty dish that features morcilla is Fabada, which is a one-pot dish full of Spanish sausages, and butter beans. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it.

Fabada Ingredients

To make fabada you will need:

Chorizo
Morcilla
Serrano ham
Cannellini or butter beans
Rioja wine
Paprika
Tomato puree
Chicken or pork stock
Garlic
Red onion
Savoy cabbage
Butter

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Fabada

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5 m 35 m 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound Chorizo Sausage, sliced into rings
1 1/4 pounds Morcilla, sliced into rings
1/4 pound Serrano Ham
1 1/4 pounds Cannellini Beans
4 ounces Red Wine
2 teaspoons Paprika
4 ounces Tomato Puree
1 1/4 cups Chicken Stock
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
1 medium Red Onion, diced
1 small head Cabbage, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Butter

Directions

Trim the fat from the serrano ham and fry it for a moment in a large pan. Set aside. Add in the olive oil and onions, reducing the heat slightly and cooking until the onions are soft. Shred the ham into large pieces and add it back to the pan.
Add the paprika, wine, stock and tomato puree, bringing to a gently simmer.
Once simmering, add the chorizo and beans to the pan. Put the lid on the pan and reduce the heat, simmering for a further 10 minutes.
Add the morcilla, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
In a frying pan, add the butter and olive oil until foaming. Add in the cabbage, but do not shake it, leaving it for about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and toss with the cabbage. The cabbage should be dark in color on some of the edges, so cook for a few more minutes to bring out its nuttiness.
Serve topped with the sautéed cabbage and garlic, with bread on the side.