INGREDIENTS
1 nice loin joint of Kassler or smoked bacon (Approx. 1KG).
For the Parsley Sauce:
- 300 ml milk
- A bouquet garnet
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 stick of celery sliced
- 1 small onion sliced
- A few peppercorns
- A pinch of salt
- 2 cloves garlic
- A tiny grate of nutmeg
- 40g of roux.
- A good handful of chopped parsley
- A tsp of smooth Dijon mustard
For the Mash:
- 1.5kg potatoes
- 250ml milk
- 50g butter
- A good pinch of salt
- A good twist of pepper
- A small bunch of wild garlic chopped.
For the Glazed Carrots:
- 8-12 young tender carrots. Peeled and halved lengthwise.
- A good knob of butter
- A pinch of sugar or spoon of honey, or even better Hibank orchard syrup.
- A pinch of salt
- A twist of pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons of water.
METHOD
Roast the bacon in a preheated oven (190ºC) for 45 minutes per KG. Allow to rest for a further 20-30 minutes in a warm oven.
Put all the ingredients down to the nutmeg together in a saucepan and heat but do not boil. Turn it off and allow to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain the milk and return to the pot, bring to a simmer and thicken with 40g of roux (20g of cream flour and 20g of butter melted together in a small pot and then cooked for 2 minutes) whisking all the time. Add the parsley and mustard. Stir and it's ready to serve.
For the Mash:
Peel the potatoes and boil them until tender. Heat the milk with the salt, pepper and butter and stir in the wild garlic. Strain the potatoes and while still hot mash them together with the milk mix.
For the Buttered Cabbage:
Quarter the cabbage and cut out the core. Slice finely and then rinse in cold water. Shake the excess water from the cabbage and put in a wide low pot with the butter, salt and pepper. Place it on a very high heat and cook uncovered until it's wilted, glistening with butter and any water has evaporated.
Serve.
For the Glazed Carrots:
Put all the ingredients in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and place on a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for 7-10 minutes, remove the lid and cook for a further 7-10 minutes until the water has evaporated and the carrots are glistening. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and serve.
