GASTRO FOODS
Arbroath smokie
Arbroath smokie
Set aside your haggis and sample another Scottish gem from the town of Arbroath in Angus. The smoked haddock dish is prepared using cooking methods that date back to the late 1800s, when the fish would be salted overnight, before being tied in pairs using hemp twine and left overnight again to dry. They’re then hung over a triangular length of wood to smoke, and ready to eat in less than an hour.
Bedfordshire clanger
Dating back to the 19th century, this suet crust dumpling is akin to a pasty, with a savoury filling at one end and a sweet filling at the other. The ‘main course and dessert in one’ is generally steamed, but can also be baked for more robustness. The savoury end is usually made up of meat with diced potatoes and vegetables, while the sweet side is ordinarily jam, sweetened apple or other fruit.
Jellied eels Parmo
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Bedfordshire clanger
Head to the East End of London for a fishy number that’s traceable back to the 18th century, and made from chopped freshwater eels native to Britain. Eaten cold, it’s first boiled in water and vinegar to make a spiced stock, which is left to cool and set, forming a jelly. Another East End food it’s typically paired with is pie and mash, plus some chilli vinegar or malt vinegar and white pepper.
Parkin
Yorkshire, especially the Leeds area, is famous for its predilection for parkin. The gingerbread treat’s produced with oatmeal and black treacle and baked to a hard cake. Holding its texture well, it becomes moist and even sticky at times when resting, but has a drier, more biscuit-like feel in the regions of Hull and East Yorkshire. Hugely popular on Guy Fawkes Night, it’s savoured throughout the winter months and sold commercially throughout the county.
Parmo
Originating in Middlesbrough, Parmo is similar to a schnitzel, consisting of a cutlet of deep-fried chicken coated in breadcrumbs, topped with a white Béchamel/Parmesan sauce and cheese. Variations include Parmo hotshot (chicken or pork topped with cheese, pepperoni, peppers, garlic butter and chilli); Parmo Kiev (chicken only topped with cheese, garlic butter and mushrooms); and Parmo Italia (chicken or pork topped with cheese, garlic butter and ham, with a further topping of mozzarella cheese).
Potted shrimp
He may be renowned for drinking his Martinis shaken, not stirred, but James Bond’s equally partial to this Lancashire meal, which comprises brown shrimp in a nutmeg-flavoured butter. Presented in a small pot with the butter acting as a preservative, it’s commonly enjoyed with bread and cayenne pepper. The 007 creator Ian Fleming passed his penchant for the delicacy on to his beloved spy, having frequently ordered it at Scott’s restaurant in London.
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28/07/2016 12:56