Lancashire Coddle

To accompany: Bacchus, Huxelrebe, Siegerebbe.

Ingredients:

• back bacon, 10 rashers, thick cut
• smoked bacon, 4 rashers, thick cut
• onions (3), thinly sliced
• potatoes, 2½lb, peeled
• apple, cooking, 1
• ½ pint stock
• bay leaf
• sage, handful - fresh and chopped (dried, 1tsp)
• yellow mustard seeds, ground, 1tsp, flat

1. If a less salty dish is preferred, pour hot water over the bacon, leave for one minute, then drain.
2. Air cured bacon gives a much better result.

Method:

1. An earthenware casserole dish (deep, cylindrical) with lid is preferable.
2. Slice half of potatoes into thick rounds (for top of casserole) and the other half into very thin rounds.
3. Cut smoked bacon into small pieces, cut other bacon in half - into lean and streaky pieces.
4. Peel and core apple, slice thinly and place in bottom of casserole dish.
5. Take half of the sliced onions, half of the smoked bacon, the lean bacon and the thin potato rounds; layer in dish, starting with bacon and finishing with potato. Mix in half of mustard and sage as bacon and vegetables are layered. Place bay leaf on top.
6. Repeat layering using remaining vegetables, bacon, mustard and sage. Make sure that the top layer is a continuous layer of potato rounds.
7. Pour hot stock in and top up with hot water until liquid level is just below the top layer of potatoes. Cover with lid.
8. Cook in a moderate oven (Mark3/160°C/325°F) for 2 hours then remove lid and cook at (Mark4/180°C/375°F) for a further 30 minutes. Keep an eye on liquid levels after 1 hour - the stock should have reduced by 75% at the end of the cooking period.

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