Haslet

I have been looking at old North of England recipes and came across haslet – which reminds me of Polish pasztet or paté.

• The name haslet or acelet – comes from Old French – hastilles which means entrails.
• Traditionally it was made with a mixture of offal such as heart, kidney, liver, and sweetbreads.
• Liver is most popular and pig’s liver most of all.
• Oatmeal is used – one of the staples in the North of England.
• Sage* is used –  a very popular herb in England
• Originally the mixture would have been cover in caul – a thin lacy looking membrane of animal fat – and then cooked.
• Nowadays this is hard to find – so butter or lard can be used in adapted recipes.
• Haslet is usually eaten cold, in slices, often with pickles.

Ingredients

• 500g pig’s liver
• 2 onions.
• 100g oatmeal or rolled oats blitzed
• Lots of fresh sage
• Salt & pepper
• 50g butter or lard.

Method

• Peel the onions – leave them whole.
• Place in a saucepan with a little water and with the lid on – gently simmer till soft.
• Leave the onions until they are cold.
• Mince (or use a mini-chopper) the liver and onions.
• Add the liver mixture to the oatmeal in a bowl – mix and leave for around 10 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to GM7 – 220°C.
• Line a small roasting tin with foil and grease well.
• Chop the sage and add with salt and pepper to the mixture.
• Place the mixture in the roasting tin and dot the top with the butter or lard.
• Bake for around 35 minutes.

*Sage – Salvia officinalis –  szałwia – in Polish – was brought to Britain by the Romans. It was a popular cooking herb in Tudor times.

Salvia comes from the Latin word salvere, which means to heal and it is known for its antibacterial properties.

Sage is a member of the mint family and is a Mediterranean herb.

Serving dish – Blue Mist – Burleigh Ware by Burges and Leigh Ltd from the 1930s.