My father's parents however, lived near us in wales, in a terrace house like any other, just like you would see in films like How Green is my Valley, or TV series like Gavin & Stacey. Where, lingering in the air was the smell of a coal fire burning, instantly noticeable as soon as you walked through the front door. Like most houses in Wales in the 60's, it consisted of, the kitchen with a huge coal burning oven, the living or front room and 'the best room'. The latter, was where all your best china was kept, immaculate furniture and your most prized possessions were on display. It was only ever used for special occasions; when the local vicar or other special guests visited, when there was a birthday etc or where someone was laid to rest. As such, as kids we were very rarely allowed into that room.
The heart of the home though was always the front room. It housed the TV and all the comfy furniture. Their front room was no exception, it always had a coal fire burning, a standard grate with a mantlepiece that housed a glass dome clock, with a rotating 3 brass ball pendulum, and two china dogs amongst other things. If the fire had died down, it would often be roared back to life by the practice of placing sheets of newspaper across the fireplace, to cause a vacuum and draw the fire.
a welsh cooked breakfast
When my grandfather wasn't off fighting the Bosch (as Stephen Fry might put it), he like most males in the valleys, worked in the local mines, they worked at the pit. As far as I am aware, no matter what hour his shift started he would always leave the house with a full belly, he would always have had a full cooked breakfast. Sitting at my grandparents table to a cooked breakfast, is a special memory for me. Eggs, sausages, slices of smoked back bacon, tomatoes and fried bread, and while all fried in copious amounts of dripping or lard no doubt, it was never greasy. Very tasty and filling, but never greasy.
I don't remember them ever having been included for us kids, but a full Welsh breakfast would often also often contain laverbread and strange as it might seem cockles. Laverbread is a delicacy I only discovered later in life, a delicacy I adore. For those not familiar with it, laverbread (bara lawr in Welsh) is a type of edible seaweed. It is collected, cleaned, boiled and then minced or pureed. The great Welsh actor referred to it as 'a Welshman's caviar' and I am not going to argue with that. It is not just the Welsh that prize it as a food source; as it is of the same family as the Korean 'gim' and the Japanese 'nori, which is what is wrapped around sushi.
In wales however, it is either simply reheated with plenty of pepper or a squeeze of lemon or oats are added to bind it, before rolling it in oats and then shallow fried like a fish cake. For the best flavour, it should be fried with bacon dripping. As one might assume, it has a briney flavour and is glutinous in texture. Perfect when eaten with crisp fried bread for breakfast. It also perfect when used as a base for a sauce for cockles or other shellfish, and also compliments roast Welsh lamb brilliantly!
recipe - laverbread with cockles & bacon
250 gm short pastry
150 gm laverbread
150 gm bacon
150 gm cockle meat
150 ml cream
002 pc eggs - whole
002 pc egg yolks
preparation method
Blind bake a flan case - roll out the pastry and line a lightly buttered flan dish, with a fork gently pierce all over (this prevents air pockets and bubbles appearing). Cover cover/line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans (if you don't have baking beans, use dried peas or similar or use a handful of loose change from the piggy bank). Place in a pre-heated oven (180C) for approx 20 minutes, gently remove the paper with the baking beans and allow to continue baking for 10 minutes until a golden brown. Remove and allow to cool.
Cut the bacon into small strips and dry fry, until nicely browned and crisp. Drain and combine with the cockles and laverbread, taste and season if required. Pack into the cooled pastry case. Combine the cream, eggs and yolks until no streaks of egg white are evident, pour over the laverbread mix. Bake at 180C until lightly set (approx 30 minutes) taking care it does not over brown - if required, lightly cover with tin foil.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Remember, it will carry on cooking after it is removed from the oven, so a slight wobble in the centre when initially tested is fine.
pie in the sky
My grandfather enjoyed one of these breakfasts, everyday of his married life as far as I am aware. He survived 6 years fighting in the desert in WWII, working down the mines, smoking unfiltered Woodbine's (the strongest cigarettes known to man I think) and this cholesterol packed breakfast.He was quite a slight man, with hardly a waistline to speak of. Hmmmmm ... makes one wonder. My only real memories of him, were him breaking the news of my father's death to me when I was six, the fact he read the newspaper etc with it almost touching his nose and that he once took me to the annual coal miner's Xmas work do. Every year he would take a different grandchild, every year we came back with a present from Santa. The year, I went, I was shy and timid (maybe because of my father's death) and didn't want to go and see Santa. Grandad kept saying if I didn't go soon I would end up with a silly, left over present like skates. He was right, that was exactly what I got! I do remember the party food, there was all the usual children's fare of the era; biscuits, cake, spam sandwiches, sausage rolls and jelly and ice cream.
Unfortunately, my maternal grandmother passed away when I was fairly young, so my memories of her are brief. She was knitter, a prolific knitter at that. She would more often than not be found sat by the open fire knitting needles click clacking away furiously. She could knit a full jumper with amazing stitched designs in a matter of days. She doted on everyone, wore a housecoat constantly, had the whitest of white hair and was the most typical of Welsh grandmother's in everyway. My culinary memories of her, amount to three dishes; her breakfasts, her Welsh cakes and for some reason a meat and potato pie she made and usually served for lunch.
recipe - gi's meat & potato pie
400 gm short pastry
200 gm mashed potato (three cups)
200 gm sausage meat (three cups)
001 pc onion
001 pc egg
preparation method
Roll out the pastry very thin and line a lightly buttered flan ring/case, allowing a good two inches hanging over to form the crimped crust. Combine the remaining pastry and off cuts and roll out to a circle big enough to form a lid.
Finely chop the onion and combine with the sausage meat and season well with salt and pepper (Gran, always seemed to add extra pepper) Lightly press the sausage meat into the pastry case, ensuring an even layer. Cover with the mashed potato (having seasoned and beaten with copious amounts of butter)
Brush the pastry hanging over the edges with the beaten egg, and place the pastry lid on top. Crimp or roll the pastry together (Gran, always had a thick crust around the edge probably because nothing ever went to waste. But feel free to trim and crimp) Cut a small hole in the middle, and brush the top with the eggwash.
Bake at 170-180C for approx.1 hour. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly and serve with copious amounts of tomato ketchup, bread and butter and a strongly brewed, hot, sugary tea!
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