How to prepare a Polish blood sausage/black pudding
{Kaszanka, Kiszka, Krupniok}
3 ways
Kaszanka [kasha-nkah] is a Polish delicacy made from pork meat (often also organ meat), barley or buckwheat and pig’s blood. You may also know the name kiszka or krupniok, those are regional terms that are now also widely used. You can find this sausage stuffed into a small intestine casings or into a large intestine, formed into a ring. Kaszanka is still cooked and enjoyed in Poland every day. Kaszanka will find a prime spot on the grill in the summer time or will be enjoyed on a sandwich when a grill isn’t available. I’m sharing 3 ways to prepare it the way it was (and is) prepared in my home by my grandparents, parents and now me. I hope you enjoy!
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Kaszanka Sandwich
This is the easiest way to serve and enjoy kaszanka. It is a simple, open-faced sandwich with sliced blood sausage served cold*. I like to garnish mine with onions (sometimes pickles) and/or mustard and horseradish. Nothing fancy here, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying.
*Kaszanka and kiszka are sold already cooked, so no worries here.
You will need:
Kaszanka (blood sausage)
Hearty bread with thick crust
Raw onions
Mustard and/or horseradish
- Take kaszanka out of the natural casing. Slice and place on buttered bread.
- Top with sliced raw onions, mustard, and/or horseradish.
2. Fried Kaszanka with Onions
This is by far my favorite way to enjoy this delicacy. Caramelized onions compliment the dish greatly and the meat gets a nice sear from roasting in a frying pan for a few minutes. Feel free to add as much pepper as you like, for me the more peppery, the better.
You will need:
5-6 kaszanka links or 1 large round kaszanka
7-8 medium onions, sliced
3 tbsp of vegetable oil
3 tbsp of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
- Slice onions and sauté in oil and butter until caramelized.
- Remove blood sausage from casings, slice and add to onions. Mix until sausage breaks up and onions are somewhat combined with the mixture. Let it caramelize for a few minutes before mixing again. Stir and let caramelize again.
- Enjoy on bread or with a side of fried egg. Mustard and horseradish are also great condiments that will compliment the dish.
3. Roasted Kaszanka
This is an alternative method to fried kaszanka. It is also prepared with onions, but instead of frying you will roast it in the oven. Be prepared to see some of it “oozing” out of casings, but that’s normal.
You will need:
5-6 kaszanka links
5-6 onions (1 small-medium onion per link)
2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil + 2 tbsp of butter
Salt and pepper (as much as you like)
- Heat oven to 350℉/180℃.
- Slice onions and set aside.
- Place oil and butter in a roasting pan and place in the oven for a couple of minutes to warm the oil and melt the butter. When butter is melted, add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add the kaszanka links and roast for another 20-30 minutes.
- Enjoy with mustard or/and horseradish and bread or potatoes for a full meal.
As mentioned in my intro, kaszanka will often be cooked over a grill in the summer time. Please keep in mind, that, due to its loose texture it is a difficult sausage to grill. If not done right, it will split and the contents will end up on the bottom of your grill. Not cool! To do it right, place in the coolest spot of the grill and heat slowly over low heat. It will take a bit of time for it to cook, but you will end up with a perfectly cooked link of blood sausage with crusty skin. You. Are. Welcome!
Good luck! Please send reports back soon!
Smacznego!
Anna
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Hi Anna,
When I was a child our kiszka was stuffed into a kidney casing. My mom would bake it, I loved the crispy skin. Now, kiszka comes in artificial casings, they are like rubber and do not crisp up when baked. We had an open house reception at our church for a newly ordained priest, kiszka was served sliced, I had never had it this way, it was very good. I always thought kiszka had to be baked.
Now if I can find it I remove the artificial casing slice and fry. This is also how it was served in Poland while I was there. Strangely it was only served once on a breakfast buffet. Thanks for sharing our heritage with us.
We made this baked with a little water, no onions or oil until it splits. Then we Americanized it and served it crumbled with ketchup mixed in.
Getting the kiszka from a really good Polish deli is the key, especially ones that use natural casing and very lean meat.
My dad and my dziadek always had it fried with onions like hash and then served with ketchup. Still eat it that way in their honor. Thanks for posting the other ideas for having kiszka!
My husband and daughter love Kiska. I get it from a Polish market in Erie, PA. I cook either fresh or frozen – grease a cast iron skillet with solid Criso. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes with a lid on the pan, take the lid off, and bake another 15 minutes. Not a big fan of it, but they really enjoy it.
That sounds like a great way to prepare it! Thanks for sharing!
Are you talking about Trawka’s Market? It smells amazing in there! We just bought a ring of it and carted it back to SC, along with their pierogi. That’s what for supper tonight;
I have a friend who says his parents used to “hang” the “liver ssusage”. Is liver sausage the same thing as blood sausage/kiszla? Have been searching for a source to purchase it. I’m in Pennsylvania also, and if your source in Erie does online ordering, I will definitely order. Thanks so much for any info you can provide
No, liver sausage is called “wątrobianka” or „pasztetowa”, it’s a paste/spread made of meat, spices and liver. You can sometimes find it’s German version under a name “liver wurst”.
I grew up eating Slotkowski Kiszka, which is sold pre-cooked. We would roast it in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and eat it hot, or sliced cold the next day. I can no longer find it in the stores, and bought some other brand that appears to be raw. It is links in casing. Roasting it in the oven did not cook it, and it came out runny and bloody. How should I cook this raw kiszka? Thanks!
Hi Anna,
We have had some of the old farmers in my area who used to make kiszka homemade and their was one fellow who I used to love to get it from. His recipe seemed to be the best. Most of the fellows are long gone and not sure if the family ever kept their secret recipes. Do you have a recipe for making your own kiszka at home? Love to hear your thoughts.
Yes, I do. It will be included in a cookbook I’m preparing to be published this year. Stay tuned.
I have a family recipe from the 30’s My family killed the pig and drew off about a quart of blood. We boiled the head and used that meat to mix with onions, the liver, rice, we sometimes used the lungs, salt,pepper and marjoram. Us kids scrapped out the intestines to use as casings. My Bubba said the only thing we don’t use is the”squeal”
My way is Fried Kaszanka with Onions and maybe a egg mixed in.