Bacon Roly Poly or Clanger, is an old fashioned British pudding brought up to date. Bacon, red onions and mushrooms all rolled into a suet pudding casing and steamed for the ultimate comfort food.
I was recently sent a Mermaid Pudding Sleeve and discovered that there weren’t that many recipes mentioning how to use one.
I had never made a roly poly style pudding before and suet never features on my shopping list.
This called for some old fashioned British cookery and I knew just the place to look, my grandmother’s old book titled The Birds Eye Book of Britain’s Favourite Recipes.
I had never cooked from it before as it seemed so dowdy and old fashioned (1964) but I knew all the old cooking techniques were covered in there.
I wanted to find an alternative to the obvious Jam Roly Poly so was pleased to find a savoury dish in the form of Bacon Roly Poly.
In the original recipe the onions and bacon go into the pudding uncooked but I didn’t fancy taking my chances with this so fried them up and also added mushroom and changed the onions to red ones.
There is mace in the recipe which I bought specially and then promptly forgot to use so if you don’t have any don’t worry as it tasted delicious without!
I was very impressed with the way that the Mermaid Pudding Sleeve cooked the Roly Poly as the finished pudding was not like it had been purely steamed.
Where the pudding had come into contact with the metal sleeve there was a slightly baked surface which I really liked.
The original recipe was rolled up in pudding cloth and boiled for 2 hours so the texture would have been more spongy which you can see from the picture.
Indeed I notice some recipes suggesting that you put your Roly Poly in the oven to crisp it up slightly after steaming – so no need with the Mermaid Sleeve!
As this Bacon Roly Poly (also known as a Clanger) is made with fairly inexpensive ingredients I am entering it into this month’s Credit Crunch Munch which is run jointly between myself and Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours. I am also entering it into the Tea Time Treats challenge being run by Lavender & Lovage and What Kate Baked (who is hosting this month) where the theme is Perfect Puddings, both sweet and savoury. As this recipe is also made from scratch I also have to enter it into Made with Love Mondays challenge hosted by Javelin Warrior’s Cookin w/Luv.
After mixing up and rolling out the dough you simply lay on the fried onion, mushrooms and bacon.
After rolling up and sealing the edges with water, place into Mermaid Baking Sleeve.
Then simply place in a steamer for 2 hours topping up the water regularly.
Then simply remove the Roly Poly from the sleeve and serve.
As it says in the original recipe “an honest to goodness dish for tough guys” !
Bacon Roly Poly
Ingredients
- 200 g / 7oz Back bacon chopped
- 1 tbsp Rapeseed Oil
- 2 Medium red onions chopped finely
- 120 g / 4oz Mushrooms chopped
- Pepper
- Powdered mace optional
- 200 g / 7oz Plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 100 g / 3.5oz Shredded vegetable suet
- Water about 5 tbsp
Instructions
- Fry the bacon in a large non-stick pan in the oil until cooked and then set aside using a slotted spoon.
- Sweat the onions on a low heat in the same pan with a lid for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped mushrooms and sweat for a further 5 minutes under a lid.
- Sieve the flour, mix in the salt and suet and then add the water to give a firm dough which comes away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.
- Roll out the dough to a rectangle shape the same width as the pudding sleeve about 1/4 “ thick.
- Lay the bacon and onions/mushrooms over the dough leaving a gap along the sides and the bottom edge.
- Season with the pepper and a little mace if using.
- Roll up the pudding and seal the sides and bottom edge with a dab of water.
- Put in pudding sleeve or roll up in a layer of grease proof paper and foil loosely (to allow for expansion) and scrunch foil to seal.
- Place in a steamer over boiling water for 2 hours topping up the water regularly.
- Once ready slice up and serve with your favourite vegetables and gravy or tomato ketchup if preferred.
Fuss Free Helen
I am not telling Ed about this recipe. No. No. No. I am not.
Well I could be a lovely girlfriend and make it for him? Wonder if I can wrap in foil and cook in my steamer?
Camilla
The original says wrap up in a pudding cloth but I’ve seen other recipes where you loosely wrap in baking parchement and then foil to allow for expansion, just make sure it’s sealed well:-)
Mich Piece of Cake
I have never seen a Mermaid Baking Sleeve… how interesting. And that bacon roly poly looks good.
Victoria Lee
“an honest to goodness dish for tough guys” I love the comments in these old-school cookery books – the ones in Be-Ro are amazing! Love the idea of this dish – anything with Bacon in is a winner in our house, and I think my own ‘tough guy’ will adore this! Thank you 🙂 (p.s. found you through Twitter – new follower on this site)
Camilla
Thank you for your lovely comment and I’ll be sure to return the compliment!
Karen
Another bacon clanger rememberer here! I do love those pudding sleeves, and remember my grandmother making a similar recipe, but regional, again, no mushrooms, but sliced potatoes were added! Great comforting grub.
Karen
Camilla
It’s lovely to awaken culinary memories for people and at the same time this is completely new for many of us too. I suppose it’s like fashion, these things come round again especially in this recession when we need to find new/old ways of saving money and having a hearty meall too! That is why I’m very passionate about Credit Crunch Munch it’s not just an abstract concept to me it’s very real.
Jacqueline @How to be a Gourmand
Congrats on getting on the Bloggers Page for Mermaid 🙂 Really like the filling and changes you have made to the recipe.
Your dish looks far more appealing than the original – nice golden colour and slightly crispy round the edge. I think if I was making this, I ‘d probably pre-cook the bacon too (it would unsettle me otherwise). I wouldn’t have a clue where to start using a tin like this – so thanks for the clear descriptions 🙂
Camilla
Thank you Jacqueline, I think I was the last person to see the new Mermaid page because the DNS from Talk Talk was quering our pitch! We’ve fixed now so it was lovely to finally see what all the bloggers had been excited about:-) That was my cunning plan to put a pic of the original because my dish could only look better. I think I could have done the photography & styling for the book with all the huge shadows going on:-) I’m going to carry on delving as there are 2 of these books so I can bring more recipes up to date!
serialcrafter
That looks so tasty, I am a big fan of suet pastry but have never made a roly poly!
Camilla
I’d never made a roly poly, suet puddings, dumplings etc hadn’t realised how easy it was and the pudding sleeve made it even easier:-) Going to try something sweet next with the rest of the suet!
Jane Willis
It looks gorgeouns, real comfort food. And I have to say I think yours looks far more appetising than the original one. I’ve got really keen on proper old fashioned food recently, as you’ve probably noticed, and this is just the kind of thing I’m enjoying cooking. I think it must be the weather!
Camilla
Thank you Jane. Yes all this cold weather definitely call for some traditional British cooking, hearty and comforting:-)
Jen @ BlueKitchenBakes
That looks delicious! I’ve never liked jam roly poly, think it was the kind of slimy texture from being boiled that put me off. Bacon is always a winner and I like the fact that the exterior has a baked appearance to it. Might to have to track down a pudding sleeve at some point so I can give it a go.
Camilla
Thank you Jen. I was half expecting something I wouldn’t like but was completely surprised when it turned out so well and was so delicious too:-)
Sally Lea
True Valentines dinner for boys!
Camilla
Well that’s Valentines Day covered then LOL!
Mark Whittaker
I knew this, or a slight variation , from my childhood as a Bacon Clanger, It was a real economy meal, but I still love it. Its so filling and full of flavour. The only difference in my Clanger is the absence of mushrooms ( though as I love them will try it) and added sage. Its such a great meal to have on winters days and I serve it up at least four or five times a year.
Camilla
That’s so lovely to hear that you used to eat this and I hope you enjoy the addition of the mushrooms:-) Thank you for dropping by to comment.