Tripe

Veal tripe is best, but ox-tripe is more commonly sold. It can be bought prepared to varying degrees, so find out from the butcher how much longer it needs to be cooked. It is sold completely raw (don’t buy it like this if possible); blanched and scraped; prepared or ‘half-cooked’ (which is the best way to buy it) and cooked.

If you do buy raw tripe, wash it very well and then blanch it (bring to the boil in salted water and refresh in cold water). Then simmer the blanched tripe for three hours in salted water with carrots, onions, celery, a bayleaf and some peppercorns, by which time it is ‘half-cooked’.