Boudin: Louisiana's Most-Loved Link
Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana’s Extraordinary Link, Second Edition delves deep into the history and mystique of Louisiana’s most exclusive Cajun food. The book provides historical synthesis of boudin’s transportation and transformation from France in the 1700s to Louisiana’s Acadian, Creole, and Cajun populations. It also uncovers and celebrates the almost territorial devotion that people have to boudin it all its nuanced glory.
In addition, Boudin provides in-depth information on dozens of individual boudin makers, offering insight into their histories and their connection to this "Sausage Different.” With gorgeous images by renowned photographer Denny Culbert, the book manages to be both deeply informative and visually compelling.
From the most run-down gas stations off I-10 to the finest restaurants in the New Orleans French Quarter, you’re likely to find some form of boudin being served. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone from the state who’s never tried the dish, and even harder-pressed to find someone who’s never heard of it. Boudin is a Louisiana staple food, right alongside gumbo and jambalaya, that locals enjoy for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anytime in between. As one of the state's most loved comfort foods, dozens of festivals and cook-offs are held each year in celebration of boudin, many of which attract thousands of people. Here, businesses come from near and far to compete for the title of "Best Boudin."
A group of locals gather around Cravin' Boudin's tent at the Boudin Cook-Off in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Although boudin is made with the traditional base of pork, rice, and onions, each recipe contains a diverse texture, blend of seasonings, and ratio of meat to rice that makes them unique. Many boudin masters take years to perfect their recipes, and most are considered top-secret—only shared with the most-trusted family members. If you’re from Louisiana, you know that people take their boudin seriously, and it’s so much more than food—it’s a business, a hobby, a tradition, and a part of Cajun culture.
Staff preparing a variety of sausages and other meats at Bourgeois Meat Market in Thibodeaux, Louisiana.
If you are ready to immerse yourself in boudin culture, don't go into it alone! Boudin: A Guide to Louisiana’s Extraordinary Link is the ideal companion for curious boudin beginners and proclaimed aficionados. Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge on the history of the link, want to discover Louisiana’s secret boudin hotspots, or are ready to create your own competition-worthy recipe, Boudin has everything you need to begin your journey. Keep a copy in your vehicle for those across-the-state road trips, or keep it in the kitchen alongside your most prized recipes. No matter what you decide to use it for, Boudin is bound to get your taste buds watering!
Ready to begin your journey today? Check out this delicious traditional recipe dating all the way back to the 1930s!
Historic Boudin Recipe
by Mazie & Clarence Fontenot
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds of pork meat with a little pork fat
- 1/2 pound pork liver
- 2 large onion heads, chopped
- 1 bunch green onion tops, chopped (green part only)
- 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- Red pepper to taste (at least two tablespoons)
- Salt to taste (2-3 tablespoons)
- 2 pounds raw rice cooked separately
- 1 box boudin casings
Instructions
To cook the rice: Measure rice into a deep pot since rice will boil up and double in size. Add same amount of water as rice and three tablespoons salt. Cover tightly and place on medium high heat for ten minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook until all the water has been absorbed into the rice and the kernels are tender.
Place the meat and liver in a deep gumbo pot and put in enough cold tap water to cover contents. Place on stove and bring to a boil and boil until tender. When cooked, remove from fire, pour off eater and allow meat to cool until it can be handled. When cool enough, grind in food chopper.
Chop the onion heads, the onion tops, and parsley. Place all these ingredients in a pan with a small amount of water. Place on the stove and bring to boiling point. Remove from heat, strain water away and add the chopped ingredients to the meat mixture in a large pan. Add cooked rice and salt and red pepper to taste. taste for seasoning and add more if necessary. Mix well.
Prepare the casings by cutting them into lengths about twelve inches. Run hot water through them and place them in a bowl of warm water until you are ready for them.
To stuff the boudin, you will need a "boudinierre" or some other cone-shaped object with a hole at the small end. (Most Cajuns have a boudinierre made from the end of a cow horn. A piece of cardboard can be used.) Place the boudinierre in one end of the casing and tie the other end with a string to hold the stuffing. Take a spoon and spoon the dressing into the boudinierre and on into the casing, pushing the dressing down to the bottom. When the casing has been filled, tie the other end and proceed with the other sections.
When all the dressing mixture has been put into the casings, place half the amount in the bottom of a big gumbo pot, handling carefully as to not break the casings. Cover the boudin with cold water and simmer for about twenty minutes. Do Not Boil.
Your boudin is now ready for eating.
Interested in reading more? Purchase your copy today!
