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Traditional Lincolnshire Recipes
The taste of Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a large county in England, a major agricultural producer of barley, wheat, sugar beet and oilseed rape it is also home to large crops of vegetables, particularly cabbages, cauliflowers and onions.
Despite the size of the county and the quality of its food the local specialities seldom receive the interest and publicity they deserve. So with that in mind here are some of the foods unique to Lincolnshire.
Stuffed Chine: I often feature this on my menus, it has a distinctive taste (aquired, some might say) from its long curing and parsley stuffing. Chine is essentially the neck chine cut through the shoulder and preserved in salt or brine. The meat is slashed and chopped parsley is rubbed into the cuts giving bright green lines along the side of the cooked meat. Chines are cooked slowly over a long period, sometimes wrapped in muslin but moreoften a special boiling bag. Served cold with some chutney or my favourite; piccalilli and watercress.
Lincolnshire Sausage: A brilliant sausage, too often overlooked in favour of Cumberland or standard pork sausage. Best known for their spicy bite from the sage and pepper they are a perfect breakfast sausage. In the days before refrigeration sausage makers would leave the sausage to ‘hang’ like Game to develop the flavour.
Lincolnshire Plum Bread: A perfect accompaniment to a wedge of Lincolnshire Poacher cheese and a cup of tea. This is a fruit loaf which can be served as an afternoon tea or toasted and served with butter.
Haslet: Another cooked meat usually served cold though some reheat slices of it. Haslet or Acelet as it is sometimes called is a sausage meat which is cooked in baking tins to give the appearance of a small loaf.
Miles
great post, very informative and especially helpful to those wondering what to eat on
the 1st October when it’s Linconshire Day
Thanks again for the traditional Lincolnshire recipes, I look forward to trying them, never had the Poacher Cheese which seems strange
Best
Rod
October 2, 2007 @ 9:08 am
Rod,
Lincolnshire Poacher cheese is wonderful, not too strong but certainly not plain tasting either, mixes well with others on a cheese board or shaved in green salads. I reckon it would make an excellent cheese on toast!
Miles
October 2, 2007 @ 5:23 pm
Miles,
Not exactly Lincolnshire fare but my tarte tatin made with seasonal local produce went down well today. In my opinion I’ve still got a long way to go before I can say I’m satisfied with this and will keep trying.
A plug for Lincoln and cheese would have to be Comestibles in the Bailgate - would you agree? Poacher cheese is usually sold at our farmers market once a month along with various meat suppliers and sometimes a smokery from the Boston area. Smoked eel is worth a try if your readers like smoked fish - not cheap mind but I think delicious.
Here’s to autumn and gourmet delights from kitchens everywhere.
Cid
p.s. someone not a million miles away from you genetically, was wondering how to salvage lumpy custards and the like … perhaps we should have an ‘idiots guide’ to basic problems. On the other hand I shall be asking you hugely complex questions like how to fillet a Snipe, to keep you on your toes!
October 2, 2007 @ 6:04 pm
Cid,
I am sure the tart tatin was a delight, look out for a forthcoming post on making them.
Comestibles of Lincoln is indeed a fine place and I have blown some serious money (not mine) on cheese in there. Another good place is The Cheese Society owned by Kate O’Meara just off the main bailgate road, very good for lunch as well as a superb cheese counter.
Smoked Eel is a fantastic product, I cook it with bacon and mash or use it as part of a salad composee.
Good idea about the problem solving! As for the snipe, roast it whole then debone it as you would a chicken/pigeon/partridge-whip the legs off then cut between the breast and backbone to remove the breasts-voila!
Miles
October 2, 2007 @ 10:29 pm
Miles,
Just had to come back to this post as Lincolnshire Plum Bread was in the news today. They are fighting to keep the name and have it confirmed as a speciality food, like the Cornish Pasty etc.
I always enjoy going into Comestibles of Lincoln and the Lincolnshire Poacher cheese is always part of my purchase there.
October 9, 2007 @ 8:41 pm
Christine,
Interesting news about the plum bread, I didn’t know about that. We should do everything possible to preserve our local food heritage.
Thanks for the info.
Miles
October 9, 2007 @ 11:13 pm