BLACK PUDDING AND RHUBARB PASTRIES

These little pastries make good canapes or starters. The mixture sounds bizarre but is delicious.

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 200 g rhubarb (about 1 stick) cut into 1 cm slices
• 8 slices black pudding about 4 cm diameter and 1 cm thick
• 16 sheets filo pastry about 15 cm square
• 100 ml dry cider or white wine or water
• Olive oil for frying
• Black pepper, nutmeg.

A good quality black pudding is needed.

Fry the skinned black pudding slices in a little olive oil using a heavy frying pan until they are lightly crisped on the outside. Reserve. Add the onion to the pan (with a little extra oil if necessary) and soften without browning. Add the rhubarb and stir for a minute or so. Add the cider and simmer gently until the rhubarb has disintegrated to form a thick sauce. Season with black pepper and a little grated nutmeg.

Place two squares of pastry on top of each other; place a teaspoon of the sauce in the middle and put a slice of black pudding on top. Moisten the edges of the pastry and fold over the contents, pinching the edges together to form a seal.

Bake in a moderate oven (160 C) on a greased baking tray for about 20 -30 minutes (until the pastry is golden).

Eat while warm. This quantity suffices for a canape for four or a good starter for two.

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