Lancashire claims to be the home of tripe and onions, an inexpensive and filling dish. Tripe is the stomach linings of an ox; the first stomach's lining is called blanket, the second honeycomb and the third thick seam. They all taste the same, only the appearance is different. Tripe is always sold dressed and parboiled.
SERVES 4
450 g (1 lb) dressed tripe, washed
3 medium onions, skinned and sliced
568 ml (1 pint) fresh milk
pinch of grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf (optional)
salt and pepper
25 g (1 oz) butter
45 ml (3 tbsp) plain flour
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
1. Put the tripe in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then drain and rinse under running cold water. Cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces.
2. Put the tripe, onions, milk, nutmeg, bay leaf (if using) and salt and pepper into the rinsed out pan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for about 2 hours, until tender. Strain off the liquid and reserve 600 ml (1 pint) .
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook gently for 1 minute, stirring. Remove pan from the heat and gradually stir in the reserved cooking liquid. Bring to the boil and continue to cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
4. Add the tripe and onions and reheat. Adjust the seasoning and serve sprinkled with parsley.
