A British meatball (Warning: Not for the squeamish or vegetarian).
Just in case you thought it was safe to return to the age-old battlefield of British-American English, here's another use of the word faggot, for once not associated at all with one's sexuality. We (the Brits) not only burn our faggots (see ash faggot for details), but we eat them. And no, not in that way, either. Yes, the British have a food called "faggots".
It's often said that much British food is based on a dare, and here is more evidence of that, were it needed. You thought that haggis was bad, well try faggots. But seriously, they are tasty.
Simply put, faggots are a type of offal meatball dish served in a rich gravy.
Originating in Wales and popular in the East and Midlands of ENgland, a typical recipe includes:
- minced pork
- pig's heart, lites (lungs) and liver
- whatever other offal you can get, including spleen
- onions, herbs, salt and pepper, and breadcrumbs.
As if this weren't enough, they are then wrapped in part of the pig's stomach lining (
caul) - this gives them the appearance of having been covered in a fatty net.
To Prepare and Eate a Fagot
Dear Noah Webster defined the word "fagot": To make a fagot of; to bind together in a fagot or bundle; also, to collect promiscuously. It's a good description of the dish. Take the ingredients given above. Fry the onions (preferably in butter) first, then combine the diced meat ingredients together, and mix well. Cover with water and pop it in a hot oven (probably 350°F) until everything is cooked, then pour off the water (keep it for the gravy!) and mince the meats. Finally, add the herbs and breadcrumbs, form into balls, cover with the caul and return to the oven with the gravy, in a covered dish.
They are, in my humble opinion, best served with mash, peas and carrots, and a couple of pints of beer, in the local. The best-known brand in my neck of the woods is Brains, which are nice and rich and spicy, but not a patch on home-made. Try faggots, they could change your life.
N.B. They are not ever to be confused with fags, which are cigarettes in the UK.