A traditional meal from Newfoundland - Jiggs Dinner

[Rufus]

3 lbs salt beef
1 cup dried yellow split peas
1 medium cabbage , cut into 6 wedges
6 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
1 rutabaga (Swede), peeled and cut into 6 wedges
6 medium potatoes, peeled
1 onion, peeled and left whole
6 parsnips, peeled
2 tbsp butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Soak the salt beef in cold water for 8-10 hours, then drain.Tie peas in a cheesecloth bag, leaving room for the peas to expand. Place salt meat and peas in a large, deep pot with enough fresh water to cover them. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours. Add cabbage and onion and cook for 20 minutes. Add carrots and rutabaga and simmer for 20 minutes more. Add potatoes and parsnip and cook until just tender.

Transfer cooked peas from their bag to a bowl and mix in butter and pepper. Remove salt beef, cut into 6 portions and place on a platter. Transfer vegetables, except the onion, to separate platters. Serve with hot English mustard, mustard pickle or whatever grabs your taste buds. Use the cooking liquid as a gravy.

In case you hadn't guessed this recipe serves 6. It's one of my favourite meals and is particularly delicious at this time of year.

[Squire]

Sounds mighty tempting Bryan.

[EL Alamein]

Sounds mighty tempting Bryan.

+1

Sounds like a true blue recipe from the days of yore, made from what was on hand.

Chris

[brothers]

Cabbage, love it!

[Rufus]

Sounds mighty tempting Bryan.

+1

Sounds like a true blue recipe from the days of yore, made from what was on hand.

Chris

You're spot on. It's mainly root vegetables because the soil on Newfoundland is thin and rocky, suitable mostly for growing root veg.. Also, salt meat is cheap and will last forever, which is what you need on an island in the North Atlantic with long, harsh winters. Having said that, Newfoundland is a lovely place with so much rugged, natural beauty; the people are wonderful and real characters, particularly in the outports or what's left of them, shaped by their environment.

[ShadowsDad]

We're spoiled today because we can get pretty much any product at any time that we want it throughout the year. Not all that many years ago, as Rufus stated it was eat what you have, or go without. There are lots of recipes in that category, Finnan Haddie is another. I love the stuff, but lots of folks can't get it anywhere near their face. It's made with slated and smoked haddock. I think Pickled Herring is another, but not 100% certain of that. Who doesn't like pickled eggs...just another way to carry over the bounty to a time when the ladies don't lay; that would be now (reduced laying due to the cold) but definitely during the molt.

[TheMonk]

That looks mighty good!

[Rufus]

We're spoiled today because we can get pretty much any product at any time that we want it throughout the year. Not all that many years ago, as Rufus stated it was eat what you have, or go without. There are lots of recipes in that category, Finnan Haddie is another. I love the stuff, but lots of folks can't get it anywhere near their face. It's made with slated and smoked haddock. I think Pickled Herring is another, but not 100% certain of that. Who doesn't like pickled eggs...just another way to carry over the bounty to a time when the ladies don't lay; that would be now (reduced laying due to the cold) but definitely during the molt.

Brian, you make me hungry. Add to your list Nova Scotian Solomon Gundy (pickled herring and onion), smoked kaplin, sauerkraut, and most things pickled: herring, beets, eggs, tongue, cucumber, sausage, onions, etc..

[ShadowsDad]

Bryan, Locally the pickled herring in cream sauce is terrible, but the pickled herring with onion is OK. But I had to order 2 4 lb jars of it from Wisconsin. I'm at least 2/3rds of the way done with them. (I'm salivating as I write and I'm not even close to hungry) One jar is pickled with onions and the other in cream sauce with onions. Delicious! It might be strange to lots of folks, but I love the creamed herring on a toasted English muffin for breakfast. (now I'm salivating big time!)

Do you like Finnan Haddie? I would bring it to work and it would clear out the lunchroom. Great fun on top of being delicious. It might be an acquired taste.

I never heard of smoked kaplin, I'll google it.

Edit: I got just one hit for smoked kaplins, but if it's s a smoked fish I'd like it in all likelihood. I never saw anything like it before.

[Rufus]

Brian, smoked kaplin is another traditional Newfoundland specialty. It's a small fish and very tasty when tossed on the BBQ for a bit; its one drawback is that it's very salty requiring a good amount of beer or other drink to accompany it. As for pickled herring, I always keep a jar on hand of herring fillets in vinegar, white wine, onions and spices; whenever I'm feeling a tad peckish I'll pop a couple regardless of the time of day. Finnan Haddie is also a delicacy I enjoy periodically; when I was growing up my mother served it quite frequently for breakfast as an alternative to kippers, another favourite of mine. Other Newfoundland delicacies I enjoy are sautéed cod tongues and cod cheeks; on my last visit to Newfoundland I ate cod tongues every day for three weeks. Fortunately there's a store specialising in Newfoundland fare about a 45 minute drive from my home so I can load up on salt meat, smoked kaplin, salt cod and cod tongues on a regular basis; they are also the only shop I know within an easy drive that still stocks salt pork, which I use in my baked beans.

Seeing you like fish, I suspect that you my like Digby chicks, which is a smoked herring named after Digby, Nova Scotia. I love them, but they do linger on your breath.

[ShadowsDad]

I love smoked herring, but ours are incredibly salty. If I cooked with them, I'd need to use them for the salt/smoke component, the fish would go along for the ride. There I go, salivating again.

[EL Alamein]

Awesome posts and remembrances.

Whenever I serve something that is traditional that the children don't initially like I tell them that their tastes aren't matured and that eventually they may develop a taste for it. I make them eat a tiny portion just for that purpose. It creates memories (even if not so savory) that later they can draw on to develop their tastes.

A perfect example of this for me is Brussels sprouts. As a kid I hated them (may be due to how Mom prepared them) but my Father always loved them. He always said they were his family's vegetable. Now I love them prepared braised in butter in the French way and eat them at every opportunity. My eldest who is now eleven is also starting to eat them that way while not declaring she likes them.

I believe that tastes mature and accommodate what is available so constantly feeding the good stuff to one's offspring has a positive effect in many instances. I also believe that the memories can reinforce that maturation and can induce a preference for things consumed, especially good things like vegetables etc.

Chris