Bolota Ibérico Blood Sausage – Apple, Raspberry, Hazelnut

Gastron Garden – Chef Joseph Banicz

From the oak forests of the Iberian Peninsula, where black pigs feed on acorns, to the heart of the Gastron Garden kitchen – this dish balances the deep flavours of autumn soil with the freshness of the garden air. The Bolota Ibérico blood sausage brings a smoky, earthy richness, gently countered by the sweetness of silky apple purée and the lively acidity of raspberry dust. In one bite, you taste the warmth of the Spanish sun and the purity of the North – just as the Gastron Garden philosophy says: the harmony of nature on the plate.

Recipe – serves 4

Ingredients

• For the blood sausage: 240 g Bolota Ibérico blood sausage (about 60 g per person, 1 cm slices), 1 tbsp olive oil
• For the apple purée: 500 g peeled, cored apples (Jonagold or Elstar), 40 g butter, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of salt
• To serve: 40 g roasted hazelnuts (roughly chopped), 1 tsp raspberry dust (from freeze-dried raspberries), fresh leaves (nasturtium, red vein sorrel, pea shoots), optional smoked apple vinegar reduction

Preparation

1. Apple purée: Cook the apples gently in butter until soft. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then blend to a smooth purée and strain through a fine sieve.
2. Blood sausage: Slice into 1 cm rounds, sear quickly in olive oil for 1 minute per side until caramelised. Drain on paper – crisp outside, creamy inside.
3. Plating: Arrange five dots of apple purée on the plate. Place sausage slices between them, sprinkle with raspberry dust and roasted hazelnuts, and finish with fresh garden leaves.

The raspberry dust highlights the depth of the blood sausage, while the hazelnut crunch adds elegant texture. A perfect starter for an autumn menu, beautifully paired with a chilled glass of Tempranillo.