Pudding and Souse
A traditional Barbadian Saturday meal, Pudding and Souse consists of 'pudding' (a spiced, steamed sweet potato mash) and 'souse' (pickled pork, often made with pig's head, feet, and ears, marinated in lime juice, onions, cucumbers, and hot peppers).
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 lbs Pork (pig's head, feet, ears, or pork loin)
- 3 large Limes, juiced
- 2 large Cucumbers, grated
- 1 large Onions, finely chopped
- 1 medium Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
- 0.5 cup Fresh parsley, chopped
- to taste Salt
- 2 lbs Sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp Thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp Marjoram leaves
- 0.25 tsp Ground cloves
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tsp Browning (optional, for color)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
For the Souse: Boil the pork in salted water with bay leaves until tender. Drain and cool. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. In a bowl, combine the lime juice, grated cucumber, chopped onion, chopped scotch bonnet pepper, chopped parsley, and salt. Mix well. Add the pork pieces to the marinade and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight.
- 2
For the Pudding: In a bowl, combine the grated sweet potato, thyme, marjoram, cloves, butter, water, and optional browning. Mix thoroughly until well combined. The mixture should be soft but not runny.
- 3
To cook the pudding, you can either steam it in a bowl over boiling water for about 1 hour, or bake it in a greased ovenproof dish at 350°F (175°C) for about 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- 4
Serve the pudding and souse together. Traditionally, it's served with pickled breadfruit or sweet potato on the side.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓The longer the souse marinates, the better the flavor.
- ✓Adjust the amount of scotch bonnet pepper to your spice preference.
- ✓If pig's head and feet are unavailable, pork loin or shoulder can be used.
🔄 Variations
- Some modern versions use chicken instead of pork for the souse.
- A pinch of sugar can be added to the pudding mixture.