There are certain unfashionable meals I want to slap a preservation order on lest they disappear altogether. Faggots and gravy, traditional Midlands meatballs fashioned from pork innards and belly and wrapped in caul fat, is one such recipe (lardy cake—the name speaks for itself—is another). Pease pudding would be many people’s chosen accompaniment; others probably a pile of minted fresh peas. To my mind, the faggot needs a cooling sidekick to soften the blow of the liver and onions. A mash of rutabaga is good, but also this rather more subtle approach.
Recipe information
Yield
enough for 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the rutabaga into slices about 1/8 inch (3mm) thick. It is easier and safer to do this by first cutting a slice from one side to give a flat base as you cut.
Step 2
Generously grease a baking dish or roasting pan with some of the butter. Lay the slices of rutabaga and onion in the dish, seasoning them with salt and black pepper, and strewing over the rosemary leaves as you go. Ladle over the stock so that it just about covers the vegetables—a matter of five or so ladlefuls—then dot on the rest of the butter.
Step 3
Bake for an hour or so, turning the vegetables in the stock from time to time, until they are tender enough to crush between your fingers. Serve as a side dish, with some of the juices spooned over.
