Modified “Rabbit” Boudin Noir from Gastronomie Pratique by Ali-Bab aka Henri Babinksi
No animals (or humans) were harmed during the filming of episode 3 of Hannibal, Potage…not for deliciousness’ sake anyway. So I’ve moved right along to episode 4, Ceuf.
Apparently Hannibal is an avid food historian. My inner food historian geek rejoiced! How do we know? When he shows off his modified “Rabbit” Boudin Noir (a traditional French blood sausage), he mentions that he got the recipe from Gastronomie Pratique by Ali-Bab. Ali-Bab was the pen name of Henri Babinski, a French cookbook author who published this particular book in 1907. While I don’t happen to have a copy, you can find boudin noir recipes in any classic French cookbook. Or if you’re glued to the online recipe, CLICK HERE for a recipe from The New York Times. The one he serves doesn’t look like it’s accompanied by the traditional apples and potatoes, but by some sort of mystery cylinder. Knowing Hannibal, best not to ask what’s in it.
Francoise Villeneuve 
I’d say the cylinder is probably a potato cake with a layer of apple and mushroom in the middle. I’ve made such a thing before, but it didn’t look nearly as pretty as that.
Ah, but you didn’t have Janice Poon food-stylizing the dishes for you. 🙂 It’s more or less possible, if you put enough effort to it, but hardly worth such an effort. Besides, you would need artificial food coloring and stuff like that. I’m also thinking part of the green stuff in the middle might include poached leek (the part that looks like small green rolls). So, a layer of caramelized sliced apples, a layer of sliced potatoes, a central layer of poached leeks and herbs (possibly parsley, as the ones scattered over the top apple layer) and another layer of potatoes, and probably simmered mushrooms on the side? Anyway, going to try it on Saturday (normal pork blood sausages: I live in Belo Horizonte, a Brazilian capital city, and it’s nearly impossible to get blood here to make my own boudin noir, unless I kill the rabbits myself, which I don’t think I can do… nor people for that matter! :D)