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Faggots

Game and Offal

Large meatballs of breadcrumbs or rusk with herbs and minced meat and offal (most traditionally pork heart and liver), baked close together so that, on rising, they form rounded cubes. Served with gravy, or, in the Black Country with Grey Peas (qv). Sometimes synonymous with 'Poor Man's Goose'.


Faggots with marrowfat peas, mash and gravy




The word 'faggot' originally meant a bundle, and in that sense it is used in cookbooks right up to the time of Mrs.B to indicate a bundle of herbs used for flavouring. The earliest refence we can find to 'faggots' as savoury meatball-type dish is this from 1852, where they are referred to as 'Belgian' and no mention is made of the crumb binder:


Original Receipt from 'A Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes' By Charles Elme Francatelli (Francatelli 1852)

No. 73. BELGIAN FAGGOTS.
These may be prepared with sheep's pluck, or even with bullock's liver, and other similar parts of meat; but a pig's pluck is preferable for the purpose. Chop up the heart, liver, lights, and the fat crow; season well with pepper, salt, allspice, thyme, sage, and shalots, and divide this sausage-meat into balls the size of an apple, which must be each secured in shape with a piece of pig's caul fastened with a wooden twig, or skewer, and placed in rows in a tin baking-dish, to be baked for about half an hour in a brisk oven. When the faggots are done, place them on some well-boiled cabbages, chopped up, in an earthen dish, and having poured the grease from the faggots over all, set them in the oven to stew gently for half an hour.




Tesco, 2014


See:
Berkshire Faggots
Shropshire Faggots
Grey Peas (and Bacon)
Lamb Faggots
Savoury Ducks






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