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.
Ditsy
My Mum used to cook this just as a bacon & onion pudding, in a traditional pudding basin rather than a roly poly. I still cook it to this day, love it!
Camilla
Awesome, so lovely to keep family food memories alive. I have many recipes like that too:-)
Mrs Clare Neal
I haven’t got a steamer or a large saucepan how else cam I cook this please?
Camilla
Hi Clare, if you have a slow cooker then have a Google as there are various recipes and methods for steaming a jam roly poly but the method would also work for this Roly Poly.
Trish
My Mum made this with short crust pastry and baked it in the oven (I think she had had enough of boiled suet crust in her childhood). Sometimes she used bacon leftover from a boiled piece of bacon. It was served with greens and gravy.
Camilla
What a lovely food memory, thanks for sharing:-)
Penny
Thanks for posting this, I wanted to make one in my steamer, having found a large stock of Atora suet. Goodness knows why I have it. It must have goen something like this. Careing for friend’s difficult to feed mother found she liked dumplings. Found suet difficult to get hold of. Stocked up, then, as is the way with old people, she wasn’t with us any more.
My mother cooked roly polys by steaming, wrapped in greaseproof, I think. They didn’t quite satisfy my father, whose mother boiled them in a cloth, so they had a somewhat glutinous outer surface, When I was cooking for him I tried this savoury pudding, but I didn’t get it right. Hopefully I can now.
Camilla
Aaw, that’s some back story. hope you like the recipe:-)
Simon
Can you just wrap the suet pudding in cloth and not use any foil and place in the steamer? I think this would steam better?
Camilla
I’ve never tried Simon but if you do try this you’d need to flour the cloth really well. There’s a video on You Tube about making a Roly Poly the Victorian way but they actually put the cloth sleeve in the boiling water and then fried the slices which looked rather unappetising.
Carol
This is a really lovely unusual dish although an old WII favourite was made with just bacon and served with onion white sauce and cabbage on the side. Rhubarb turns it into an autumn filling pudding with custard of course.
Camilla
Thank you Carol. Rhubarb sounds a yummy idea!
Paul
Where can I buy one of these tins
Camilla
I’m afraid these tins don’t seem to be made anymore. You can Google for alternative ways to make a roly poly using the old “shirt sleeve” method.
Olwyn
My mother in law used to make this suet pudding but she used to bake it in the oven, and it was absolutely delicious.
Camilla
Awesome, glad it brought back a foodie memory:-)
Michaela Knight
My Nan used to make this but it was known as Dog House Dinner, we always wondered why it was called that but soon found out, it was when my granddad was in my nans bad books “ in the dog house”, I’m looking forward to making it for a few friends to try xx
Camilla
LOL, well I would enjoy being in the dog house in that case:-) Enjoy:-)
Nichola
My Nan used to make this for me when I was little. Her mum, my great grandmother, called it mare’s arse pudding. I have no idea why! We make it with bacon, onion and sage. Honest to goodness comfort food.
Camilla
What a precious memory, thank you so much for sharing Nichola:-) Yes it really is proper comfort food and great for the weather we have in store!
Sue
Where can I get this sleeve can only find long thin ones which I dont want
Camilla
Hi Sue, I’m afraid you can’t buy the pudding mold I featured anymore sadly (or anything similar). However you could do it the old fashioned way with the method from my Birds Eye Book. It says “Dip a pudding cloth into boiling water, sprinkle it with flour and wrap it round the roll, tying the ends with string.” Then you’d put in your steamer.
Kim
What a fun dish! It is so great to discover a new way to use bacon. I am amazed how such simple ingredients are able to flavor a meal.
Camilla
Thank you Kim:-)
Cazzie
It is not a Clanger. a Clanger was a suet pasty with a meat filling on one side and a fruit filling on the other side. Originally from Bedfordshire in the UK and taken by farm workers int the fields.
Camilla
Hi Cazzie sounds just like the original Cornish Pasty that had jam at one end for the farm workers. I found this on Wikipedia which might explain the confusion “While often savoury, the clanger was also said to have been prepared with a sweet filling, such as jam or fruit, in one end; this variant is referred to in a Bedfordshire Magazine of the 1960s as an “‘alf an’ ‘alf” (half and half), with “clanger” reserved for a savoury version”. Clangers also came from other counties so I’ve also learned something new today:-)
Barry
I make this fairly regularly and adapted it a few times to enhance the flavour profile, i found that a nice thin spread of dijon mustard fresh mixed herb with the bacon and onions is really nice served with another british side of bubble and squeak and side of spinach along with a mustard gravy
Camilla
Ooh Barry, that sounds like a fabulous combination, thanks for sharing:-)
Michael
Our way of making this is to mince the (raw) bacon with the onion and some sage leaves in a trdaitional household mincer. This gives a wonderful mixture of the flavours and there is nothing to worry about over uncooked bacon because it always is cooked. We dont use mushrooms but thats a family/personal choice. We do however serve it with a cheese sauce as someone else mentions on here and that works really well. Green cabbage and carrots are also a good veg accompaniment .Totally rib-tickling stuff and just waiting for the promised wintery blast to justify having it…….
Camilla
That sounds like a great idea Micheal! I here we may be due some snow:-)
Tracy Nixon
This sound naughty but nice!
Paul Wilson
Mmmmm lovely.
Alica
This looks amazing! I will be giving this a go!
Camilla
Thanks Alicia:-)
Kavey
Never even knew such a thing as a pudding sleeve existed!!!!
Camilla
Sadly the firm that made them doesn’t exist any more so they are rarer than hens teeth!
bev
looks dekicious!
Angie Hoggett
very different must try it!
Susie Wilkinson
This looks great, I’ve never seen anything like it before! I’ll definitely be giving it a go!
kay
Hi Camilla, have made this recipe so often, always delicious, if you have leftovers, I make an 8 ounce pudding for my husband and myself, then slice and fry the rest the next day, absolutely delicious. Can I make this in my new halogen oven,
Yours sincerely, Kay Winser, (Rhodes, Greece.)
Camilla
Hi Kay, I’ve never used a Halogen oven but the pudding has to be steamed to cook so I don’t think Halogen would work. Camilla x
june1948
I made this recipe yesterday. Delicious & hubby asked for more. How dare he!!!
Camilla
Oh fabulous, so glad you enjoyed it:-)
Ursula Hunt
very tasty
Maddy
I like the slightly crispy bits too!
Ursula Hunt
This has become a favourite in our house on a horrible day like today
Camilla
Really pleased to hear that:-)
Hazel Rea
This looks like just what is needed for the colder weather.
Camilla
Too true;-)
Anne Dalzell
I’ve only ever made herby dumplings with suet and have thought about making a fruity, christmas pudding with suet. Sounds delicious though.xx
Anne Dalzell
I’ve only ever made herby dumplings with suet and have thought about making a fruity, christmas pudding with suet. Sounds delicious though.
William Gould
Wow! This does look and sound great!
Abigail Cullen
Wow, this recipe looks amazing, love all the ingredients and looks very filling too.
Camilla
Thanks, yes it’s proper filling comfort food:-)
Charley
Thank you. This is clearly a good idea. We are all having to be cost conscious until we win the Lottery.
We have a dinner party on Friday and pondered over deep fried poussin, slow pork belly, 24hr shoulder of pork etc but this really fits the bill.
You are absolutely right about cooking the filling first, especially if adding mushrooms. I remember this dish as a child and the pallid fatty bacon inside was unappetizing! I guess one could cover the rolled out suet with Pancetta, but more expense and not necessary.
I shall need a sauce for this. A simple light white cheese sauce would do, but I plan an equally simple cream, brandy and green peppercorn sauce.
Thank you once again for the inspiration.
Camilla
Thank you:-) Hope it goes well:-)
Paul Wilson
Looks sooo nice.
bev
It looks very filling!
ashleigh
yum this sounds great!
Helen McCarron
I’m on the look out for as many bacon recipes as possible for my fussy son. This looks like another winner as far as he’s concerned!
Camilla
Fabulous;-)
Donna Kent
This looks delicious. Its something just a bit different to put in lunch boxes.
Daniela James
Tomorrow`s dinner sorted! Thanks xx
Claire Holtey
haven’t made this for ages. OH loves suet puddings! I bought a lovely steaming basin from Lakeland but this shape will not go in – bit of fiddling needed I think.
Jeremy Andrews
This looks so good. I have to try this
Cate
Yum, this looks delicious!
glennamy
Looks delicious and not too hard for me as I am not the greatest cook! Will show my daughter (who is a fussy eater – but loves bacon) and give it a go. ;0)
Susie Wilkinson
That looks great, it can be a main course because of the bacon, mushrooms and onion, and then a second helping for dessert because it’s roly poly!
Heather Haigh
perfect comfort food, mmm
Helen Bailey
This is very similar to a ‘bacon roll’ that we make and seeing this reminds me we haven’t had it in ages. I think we might have to change that and have it later this week!
Amanda Mallows
Wow, have just come across your recipe – this would be my husband’s idea of the perfect meal. Will definitely be giving it a try!
Camilla
It’s such a popular recipe:-)
Victoria Varley
Will have to try this sounds lovely
Ursula Hunt
Made this for tea last night, thoroughly enjoyed by all. will certainly be making it again
Camilla
Brilliant, so glad you enjoyed it and thank you for telling me:-)
Helen Allan
This looks really nice. I’ve never seen a baking sleeve before. It’s definitely getting added to my wish list.
Camilla
Thanks:-)
Herbert Appleby
would a bit of chinese 5 spice work with this?
Camilla
I don’t like Chinese 5 Spice but the original recipe had Mace in it!
Ursula Hunt
Great Heartwarming recipe, full of everything I love
Camilla
Yep, perfect for this time of year:-)
Angie Hoggett
love the sound of this, thanks for a great recipe xx
Camilla
I can’t beleive how popular it has become:-)
Angela Walton
That looks completely delicious, I will have to try this at some point. Looks really tasty for these cold days we’re expecting
Tracy Nixon
I made this and it went down well with the family! Thanks!
Maya Russell
That’s real winter warming, comfort food. You could add chopped sausage or sausage meat.
Paul Wilson
This looks really nice.
Camilla
Thank you:-)
Maya Russell
Yum! I’ve never seen a Mermaid pudding sleeve. Are they expensive?
Camilla
They’re not cheap but I’m sure you can shop around on the internet.
Tracy Nixon
Ohhhh looks nice! Different too!
MsComp
With the weather turning cold again and my thoughts turning to more hearty food, I was so happy to find this recipe. I don’t have the sleeve thing though so just a minor technical hitch. It looks fab!
Carrie Talbot-Ashby
Oh wow, My mum made this (But we called it a Bacon Clanger!) and we minussed the mushrooms and instead my mum would make spicy red chillies in ours for my dad, the king of spice! But this looks absolutely delicous! I admit I have attempted this once about tn years ago! It didn’t look half as nice but I haven’t got a steamer like yours, I think I know what I will be buying this weekend! Thanks for this, I shall let you know if mine worked!! lol
Camilla
Yes the steamer is fab, do let me know how you get on:-)
Taylor J
My parents used to make this, but instead of a sleeve they used a tied up tea towel, not quite sure how this worked as I was only young, but may be worth looking into!
Camilla
I beleive you can wrap the pudding in foil (well) and then float the shirt sleeve or tea towel on top of the water to steam:-) These days a steamer pan would be less fiddly.
Tressa
This is a meal I have been eating since I was a child & one my 10 & 7 year old love now. It’s their favourite. I don’t have a mermaid baking sleeve so I just pop mine in the oven at about 200 degrees for 30mins. It’s a very inexpensive meal that the whole family adore, I recommend serving with beans as the suet can dry out when cooking. My husband and I have outs with onions & mushrooms, but the kids just have plain bacon, it’s like a giant bacon pasty! So glad to see the classics coming back.
Camilla
I’m so glad I made this as it really seems to have struck a chord with many people. I imagine that baking in the oven would dry out the suet but in the pudding sleeve it just right. Beans do sound like a yummy combination with it:-) Thank you for stopping by:-)
What Kate Baked
Such a great recipe Camilla- my usual bacon risotto for tea tonight pales into comparison to this glorious dish! Thank you for a brilliant second entry into TTT!
Camilla
Thanks Kate! Hadn’t realised I’d entered twice, well I’m a bit like buses then, no entries for ages and then 2 come along at once:-)
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.