Easy
Published 2008
Of course, we do have very much the same thing – faggots – in traditional English cooking. The caul fat is fairly essential in their preparation and you can get it from most good butchers. It is sold in sheets and, when you get them home and start working with them, you’ll probably find that great parts are unusable, as they are filled with holes. It is, however, incredibly cheap and freezes well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion, bay, garlic, nutmeg and thyme. Cook gently until the onion is just translucent. Allow to cool.
Cook the cabbage or chard in boiling salted water until tender, about 15–20 minutes. Drain and refresh, then squeeze well to get rid of as much moisture as possible and chop finely.
Coarsely mince the pork back fat and bacon, and finely mince the chicken livers, pork liver, heart, lungs and spleen.
Mix the cooled onion mixture with the greens, minced meats, eggs, parsley and seasoning. Shape the mixture into balls the size of satsumas. Wrap each in caul fat.
Brush a roasting tray just big enough to hold the caillettes in a single layer liberally with olive oil and pack them tightly together into it.
© 2008 Anthony Demetre. All rights reserved.