Charcuterie is back in fashion. Rare hams, smoked sausages, pâté and terrines are finding their way into our meals from across Europe. Closer to home, Yorkshire butchers and chefs are making fine produce too. Joan Ransley talks to award winning butcher David Lishman and top chef Joe McDermott. “Charcuterie is fascinating” says local food hero David Lishman. “It combines the art and science of food. Charcuterie is a branch of cooking devoted to preserved meat products such as bacon, hams, sausages and pâtés. It depends on old fashioned methods of salting, curing and smoking meats. In the UK this means mainly pork products such as bacon, hams and sausages but in France it also refers to pates and terrines made from other animals”.
“Curing and smoking has a long history in the UK and was the way to preserve meat for the winter” says David. “Traditionally the pig was slaughtered in the autumn. The blood was used to make black pudding, the best cuts of meat would be eaten fresh and the other parts of the animal were then used to make ham and bacon. The liver and other left over cuts would be used to make pâté, potted meats and terrines. Now we have refrigeration, we don’t need to preserve meat. We still do because it gives meat a deep, delicious flavour”.
David makes his own sausages, bacon and hams. “There are two traditional types of ham. The first is Wiltshire ham which is brine cured and sold all year round. The second is York ham, which is dry cured for Christmas. The salt draws the moisture from the meat and prevents bacteria from breeding. York ham has been salted for six days and then aged for several months. Gammon bought in the supermarket has been cured for about a week.”
Some hams, such as Serrano, are cured for at least 14 months and the flavour develops over time.
David also produces delicious smoked, black bacon which is brine cured with beer, molasses and juniper berries added to the mix.
“People are fascinated by making their own sausages ” says David who will soon be on hand to show us all how to make a whole range of charcuterie. He is planning a series of Charcuterie courses at his new premises at Bolton Abbey early next year.
Local chefs are also interested in preparing charcuterie in house. I spoke to Joe mc Dermott who has built his own smoke house in the kitchen garden of his gastro pub the Ilkley Moor Vaults.
When I visit Joe he was making his own chorizo. He also makes seasonally themed sausages such as lamb and mint, and pork with garlic and thyme.
“Why make sausages yourself?” I asked? ”Because you can make a better sausage than you can buy. We make a rustic, meatier, European style of sausage which I can smoke and use for wonderful dishes like cassoulet. We serve our smoked sausage with pickled peppers, mustard and sour dough bread. Mass produced sausages tend to be soft and pappy” Joe explained.
Joe buys in whole lambs and pigs from local producers and divvies them up. Shoulders and legs are roasted for the family style feasts the Vaults are famed for. Other bits like belly, shank and trimmings go to make the sausage. Joe also cures his own bacon which he assures me is very easy to do. He uses belly of pork to make streaky bacon and loin for back bacon which he serves with a delicious sounding Yorkshire rarebit.
But for starters Joe has given me his recipe for lamb and fresh mint sausages.
Lamb and mint sausages
Joe’s recipe for these delicious sausages do not need a skin and are a good place to start making your own charcuterie at home. They are very quick and easy to make.
Makes 8 sausages
- 250g lamb mince
- 250g pork mince
- 1 tsp salt
- Pinch of caster sugar
- 25g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove
- 25g white wine
- 3tbsp fresh mint chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Divide into 8 portions and roll each into a sausage shape. If you have time refrigerate for an hour otherwise fry gently in a non stick pan using a little olive oil. Serve with potato and courgette mash and may be a little red currant jelly.
Potato and courgette mash
Serves 4
- 2 large baking potato
- 2 large courgette, grated
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 -2 tbsp olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Rinse the potatoes and microwave each one for 10 minutes on the highest setting. Allow to cool slightly. Remove skin and mash. Place the grated courgette and garlic in a saucepan, cover with a lid and allow to sweat for 5 minutes or until soft. Stir the cooked courgette through the mashed potato and mix well. The juices from the courgette will loosen the potato and help to give it a smooth consistency. Season well.
Chicken with chick peas and chorizo
This Spanish style dish combines the wonderful flavours of smoked paprika, sherry and a dash of warming saffron. A perfect dish for late summer.
Serves 4
- 2 cooking chorizo, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 fat cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp of dry sherry
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 1 pinch of dried chili (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
Place the chorizo in a large pan and fry gently in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken breasts and brown. Remove chorizo and chicken from the pan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and a little more oil to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the sherry to the pan and allow to evaporate. Add the tomatoes and chickpeas followed by the chorizo and chicken. Season well and add a little chili at this point if you want to. Simmer gently and serve with a plain risotto with a pinch of saffron added.