JANUARY RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Harry, a New Zealand reader (originally from Manchester), touched some old memories with this recipe. As a child, my favorite fast food "takeout" was Faggots and Peas. Harry tells me that if you lived in the north of England, you would have called them "Savoury Ducks." Either way, this is another example of the ingenuity of British cooks in producing something tasty out of something inexpensive. British housewives have always been creative.
 
FAGGOTS 'N PEAS - or - SAVOURY DUCKS
Most faggots recipes call for a pig's caul to wrap around each ball - don't worry about it! Use extra breadcrumbs instead. When I made them, I ran out of breadcrumbs, and had some problems with the balls falling apart when I put them on the baking tray. So I improvised, and put them in muffin pans instead - it worked perfectly.
1 lb pig's liver (I used calf liver)
2 medium onions
4 oz fat pork (I bought a piece of salt pork)
Pinch of thyme
1/2 tsp powdered sage
Pinch of basil
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 egg
Breadcrumbs
Pig's caul (optional)
Slice the liver, onions and pork thinly.
Put in a saucepan with all seasonings and barely cover with water.
Simmer for 1/2 hour, then strain off the liquid and save for gravy.
Mince the contents of the saucepan finely.
Add the beaten egg and sufficient breadcrumbs to make into a fairly firm mixture, and mix thoroughly. Form into balls (and enclose each one in a piece of caul - if desired.)
Place in a baking tin and add a little gravy. (I added a little bisto to the cooking liquid.)
Bake at 400* until nicely browned - about 30 minutes. Serve with gravy.
If preferred, the mixture can be pressed into a well greased baking tin and marked into squares.
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Last Updated: January 30, 2004
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