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Boiled Meats There
was a time, not so long ago, that boiling meat was a very common way of
cooking, especially for cheaper cuts of meat. Not just boiled meat recipes
themselves, but stews and casseroles would begin by boiling the meat rather
than searing it in hot oil. I can still remember the smell of boiling beef –
one of my fondest childhood memories. There are some indications that boiling
meat, and hopefully some of the traditional recipes associated with it, is
making a come back. Boiled Gammon Probably
the only boiled meat recipe that is still commonly eaten, especially sliced
cold ham which is a lunch staple. But hot boiled ham or gammon is a really
nice dish in its own right. Stick a few cloves into the ham or gammon, bring
to the boil and simmer for an hour or two depending on size. Change the water
at least once to reduce the saltiness of the gammon and serve with steamed
leeks, potatoes, carrots, peas or broad beans and parsley sauce. One of my
favourites!
Boiled Beef Made
famous through Oliver Twist, this used to be a very popular dish and is
making a comeback. Brisket is a common cut and the meat is sometimes,
although not always, salted. The salted variety is known as Corned Beef in
the States, where it is seen as an Irish dish. But in reality this is a very
traditional dish throughout the British Isles.
Boiled Mutton Being
tougher than lamb, mutton (or ‘Old Ewe’ as my grandfather called it) benefits
from being boiled. You could just boil it plain, but a really delicious old
fashioned variation is with a caper sauce. The sauce is simply made using
stock, cream and capers with their vinegar. The capers, with their sharp
vinegar, complement the fatty lamb or mutton really well. This is another of
my all-time favourites. Unfortunately, it is virtually unknown in modern
England, so here’s my bit to help revive it!
Boiled Capon A
Capon is a tough old cockerel Chicken. Again, you rarely come across this
dish these days, though it is still eaten. I remember my mother used to cook
it occasionally. The bird is usually cooked whole and often together with
fruit such as oranges. Here’s a recipe from Elizabethan England. Who said
English food is plain! Take
strong Mutton Broth, and truss a Capon, and boil him in it with some Marrow
and a little Salt in a Pipkin, when it is tender, then put in a pint of White
Wine, half a pound of Sugar, and four Ounces of Dates stoned and sliced,
Potato Roots boiled and blanched, large Mace and Nutmeg sliced, boil all
these together with a quarter of a pint of Verjuyce, then dish the Capon, and
add to the Broth the yolks of six Eggs beaten with Sack. To
serve it; garnish dish with several sorts of Candied Pills and Preserved
Barberries, and sliced Limon with Sugar upon every slice.
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