Good Things in England - A Practical Cookery Book for Everyday Use, Containing Traditional and Regional Recipes Suited to Modern Tastes. Florence White
used to raise and smooth the sides, till the pie is gradually worked into a proper shape. The meat is then put into the crust in layers, two of lean and one of fat, and pressed as closely as possible, in order that the pie may cut firm when cold.’
In Some Parts of Staffordshire
Mrs. Loudon says: ‘In Leicestershire, and some parts of Staffordshire, a layer of raisins is often put below the meat, and
In Northamptonshire
Pork-pies or pasties are made with the same kind of crust as I have described, but, instead of being raised, it is rolled out, and then cut into pieces of a proper size for the top and bottom, with a long piece of the necessary width for the sides. The bottom is cemented to the walls with egg, the two parts which are to adhere being pinched together; and the crust is filled with well-seasoned meat, put in layers of fat and lean as before; the lid is then put on, and after it has been made to adhere to the walls, it is washed over with a feather dipped in white of egg.
‘These pies,’ continues Mrs. Loudon, ‘are frequently baked in a tin which is made so as only to support the walls, and is fastened on one side with a kind of skewer, which may be drawn out, so as to allow the tin to be removed without breaking the crust. As, however, the sides sometimes look too pale when the pie is baked in a tin, the pie may be put into the oven again for a few minutes after the tin is removed in order that the walls may be properly browned.’
Pig’s Head Brawn
A Somersetshire Recipe, Frome, about 1832
INGREDIENTS: 1 pig’s head; brine or 2 handfuls of salt and a small piece of saltpetre; water, carrots, turnips; onion; shallots; 1 bunch of herbs, 4 peppercorns, 2 blades of mace, 4 cloves, 12 allspiece.
TIME: to be laid in brine, one night; to be kept boiling about 2 hours.
METHOD
1.Wash and clean the head thoroughly and lay it in brine all night, or sprinkle over with the salt and saltpetre.
2.Rinse it well.
3.Put it in a pan (a boiling pot).
4.Cover it with cold water.
5.Boil 2 hours or until the meat will easily leave the bone.
6.Then cut it up in dice – also the ear and tongue after skinning the latter.
7.Return the bones to the liquor.
8.Boil up.
9.Add vegetables and seasoning.
10.And boil until greatly reduced for about one hour (there should be about 1 1/2 pints liquor).
11.Strain off the liquor into another pot.
12.Lay in the pieces of meat, season with pepper and salt if required and let it come to the boil.
13.Rinse a mould in cold water.
14.And pour in the meat and liquor.
15.When cold and set, it is ready for use.
Norfolk Pork Cheese
Mrs. Hilda Apperley
INGREDIENTS: A hock of pork (pickled), salt, pepper, sage (if liked) water.
TIME: about 3 hours.
METHOD
1.Leave the hock of pork in cold water all night to remove some salt.
2.Put it in a pot with enough ccld water to cover.
3.Boil it till the meat leaves the bone quite clean.
4.Lift out the pork and take all the bones out.
5.Put the bones back into the liquor and simmer whilst you prepare the meat.
6.Salt and pepper the meat and add a little fresh sage chopped fine if you like it.
7.With a knife and fork cut up the whole of the meat, etc., quite fine.
8.Strain the liquor on to it (there should be only about 1/2 a pint).
9.Mix well, taste for seasoning and pour into a well wetted basin.
10.Turn out when cold.
[N.B.—At Norwich these hocks can be bought from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each (1930).—ED.]
Pork Cheese
A Frome, Somersetshire, Recipe
INGREDIENTS: 2 or more pig’s feet, part of the ears and some bones, pepper; salt; nutmeg; allspice; soy and ketchup; water; slices of hard-boiled egg.
TIME: to boil 3 or 4 hours; and then 10 minutes.
METHOD
1.Boil the feet, etc., 3 or 4 hours (till the meat leaves the bones).
2.Pick the meat off.
3.Spice it with pepper, salt, nutmeg and ground allspice.
4.Add a few drops of ketchup and soy.
5.Mix all together and boil 10 minutes.
6.Put some slices of hard-boiled egg in the bottom of well wetted basins.
7.Pour the meat and liquor mixed together into the shapes and leave till set.
Stuffed Chine
Mr. H. V. Thompson, Stoke-on-Trent, writes (March, 1930):
‘With reference to your letter in The Times Literary Supplement of February 6th I wonder if you have “stuffed chine” in your list of county recipes. This “dish” is, I believe, peculiar to North Lincolnshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire, though the number of people now able to prepare it is sadly diminishing.
‘In former days the repast at Old Clee (Lincolnshire) Feast, Trinity Sunday, used to be stuffed chine and “saucer” curd cheese cakes. I enclose recipe.’
[At Aldsworth, Northleach, Gloucestershire, they had a favourite dish for the sowing feast which was usually held on the last Sunday in April. It consisted of a good big fore-chine, sometimes called the ‘christening chine’ with large suet puddings. Mrs. Caudle, of Honeybourne, who was the daughter of a Herefordshire farmer, says ‘The christening or fore-chine was cut down each side of the backbone or chine of a pig and it was so called because one was generally saved for a christening. Miss Lanchbury of West Kissington, Gloucestershire, says her mother always cooked a christening chine for ‘Mothering Sunday.’ — ED.]
North Lincolnshire Recipe
INGREDIENTS: A neck chine of bacon; herbs (parsley chiefly) a quantity will be required; thyme and marjoram, a small amount; raspberry and blackcurrant leaves, a few nice young ones; lettuce, a small quantity; spring onions, a few; flour and water to make a stiff paste.
TIME: to soak the chine 24 hours; to bake (according to size) 20 minutes for each lb. and 20 minutes over.
METHOD
1.Soak chine overnight.
2.Pick and well wash all the herbs.
3.Score both sides of the chine.
4.Put all the herbs through the mincing machine, once will be enough.
5.Mix them and stuff them tightly in all the scorings until they are all filled.
6.Make a stiff pastry of flour and water and cover the chine entirely