Ingredients:
8 ounces breadcrumbs 4 ounces skim milk, at room temperature 4 ounces fresh pig’s blood 1-1/2 pounds cooked oatmeal, barley, rice or buckwheat 1 pound fresh beef suet, grated Small onion, chopped 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons dried mint 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon allspice Optional spices: 1/2 teaspoon cumin, basil, garlic or mace Butter

Instructions:
You’ll need a large bowl or washbasin in which to mix this sausage. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk, add the blood and stir. Add the cooked oatmeal or equivalent and the grated suet and stir well. Add the onion and spices and stir, blending all the ingredients together very well. You can stuff these ingredients into casings and boil to make rope sausage, but the easier way is to divide the mixture in half and place into roasting pans, leaving about 1/3 room at the top of each pan for expansion. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, making sure it’s cooked through in the middle. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. When cooled, cut into rectangular pieces for frying. Fry in butter at medium heat so the sausage pieces will crisp on the fried sides. A traditional Irish “full breakfast” has everything fried and will include bacon, sausage, black or white pudding, eggs and fried bread. I’m amazed any true Irish folks lived to be older than 25 if they ate like this every morning; I guess it gave them energy to help chase those snakes out of Ireland. Readers with questions or comments for Dave Kessler may write to him in care of this publication.