Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7
Dry the pork skin thoroughly and rub with salt. Cut into 5cm squares. Pop it in the oven on a baking sheet. (Keep an eye on it!)
Lay the belly out, with the fattier side down (this is probably the skin side). Tuck lengths of kitchen string underneath, so it can be pulled into a roll.
Spread the Parmesan and herb stuffing into the centre of the roll.
Roll up the belly, using the strings to secure the roll. Try to place the strings at about 3cm intervals as this will make serving easier.
Rub the outside of the pork with salt and pepper and pop on a baking sheet in the oven.
After 30 minutes turn the oven down to 180 C/Gas 4 and cook for another 40 minutes, or until the juices run clear when poked with a skewer.
The crackling is done when it is puffy, crispy and golden brown – don’t let it burn! If your crackling is slow to crisp, you can ‘cheat’ by putting it in a frying pan.
Cut the pork roll into portions using the string as a guide. Top with a square of crackling.
Stephen’s Boy Scout’s Baked Beans
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
2 tins of baked beans
4 fresh tomatoes – chopped
2 onions – roughly chopped
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
A quantity of grated mature cheddar cheese
Method:
First, heat the beans over a medium heat, until they are simmering but not boiling. Then add the tinned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and onions. Simmer for five minutes. Finally finish with a generous handful of grated cheese and serve on fresh crusty toast immediately.
Will’s Shovel Fried Eggs
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
8 free range eggs
1 relatively clean coal shovel
A little oil or butter
A very hot fire (take care with your fingers!)
Method:
Lightly grease the shovel and allow it to get hot in the flames. Remove from the fire and, if you are very dextrous – like Will – use your free hand to crack an egg onto the shovel. If not, get a friend to do it. Being careful to hold the shovel level, hold it over (not in) the fire until the egg is cooked to taste. This method is fast, so you if you like a runny egg don’t leave it on too long.
And finally, a local Cumbrian Christmas recipe for you. The ports on the Cumbrian coast were historically very active in the rum and spice trade, which has led to the popularity of these ingredients in traditional Cumbrian cooking.
Cumberland Rum Butter
Cumberland rum butter is traditionally served at Christmas, melted over Christmas pudding. It is also delicious on hot mince pies, baked apples, pancakes, or just spread on toast. Yum!
Soften and cream 170g low salt butter with 170g soft brown sugar. Beat in 6 tablespoons of dark rum. Put in a pot or glass bowl to chill in fridge. Use as required – put a generous knob of the butter on your hot Christmas pudding. It’s delicious!
Cumberland Rum Nicky
Ingredients
170g shortcrust pastry
28g preserved ginger
14g caster sugar
54g chopped dates
28g butter
1 tbsp rum
Method:
Line a buttered pie dish with half the pastry and cover with the dates and ginger.
Beat the butter, sugar and rum and pour over the filling.
Cover with the remaining pastry and bake in a moderately hot oven for 10–15 minutes.
Then turn down the heat and bake for approximately 30 minutes.
Serve with crème fraiche.
You can combine rum, dried fruit and brown sugar with Cumbrian varieties of apple (such as Forty Shilling, Carlisle Codling and Keswick Codling) to make a different, but equally delicious, Rum Nicky.
About the Author
Scarlett Bailey has loved writing stories since childhood. But before coming a novelist she worked as a waitress, cinema usherette and bookseller.
Passionate about old movies, Scarlett loves nothing more than spending a wet Sunday watching her favourite films back-to-back with large quantities of chocolate. Currently she lives in Hertfordshire with her dog and a very large collection of shoes. Scarlett Bailey is also the author of MARRIED BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
The Night Before Christmas Page 28