HOGS PUDDING AND POTATO BAKE

This “new” classic Cornish recipe was invented in 1970 by James Kittow, the excellent butcher from Fowey. There has been a Kittows in the town since 1880 and their Hogs Pudding is just wonderful. James Kittow originally layered up the potato and hogs pudding and topped it with Heinz salad cream, the acidity giving it a pickle kick but eventually it evolved into what you see below after a suggestion by Jim Prentiss, landlord of The Rashleigh Arms, Polkerris.  I have to thank Richard Kittow for his help, although obviously they are not going to give me the exact recipe, but after tasting it, I mostly knew what it was all about. I used Kittow’s Hogs Pudding, of course, King Edward Potatoes [or a good floury potato] and the cheese absolutely has to be Vintage Davidstow cheddar, I was told!

I will give you the quantities I used for a dish 8” x 6”, over 2” deep. But it will depend on the size of your dish, how many you are feeding etc. Butter your dish generously and pre heat your fan oven to 180C. 

7 or 8  small ish King Edward Potatoes, peeled and sliced - just under the depth of a £1 coin

Kittow’s Hogs Pudding, sliced into about 30 thin slices

A mix of red, yellow and green peppers, finely sliced long ways - about 1½ peppers in total

150 ml carton Double Cream 

150ml milk

a teaspoonful vegetable bouillon powder or similar 

Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper

the merest smidgen of garlic [if you wish]

Vintage Davidstow cheddar, grated

Peel and slice your potatoes [a mandolin makes this easy] and place in some water to stop them going black, add a dash of lemon juice too. Dry the slices on some kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

Using perhaps a third of each pepper, slice them in long lengths very finely, then I gently fried them in a small amount of butter, to soften. Set aside.

Slice your Hogs Pudding.

Make the “sauce”: While simmering the potato slices, stir now and then to avoid them sticking together or sticking to the bottom of the pan. 

In a medium, wide pan. gently warm the cream. Rinse out the carton with the same quantity of  milk, then add that to the pan, season with plenty of fresh ground pepper and sea salt, the vegetable stock powder and I added a small pinch of garlic powder. When hot, carefully tip in about a half of your sliced potato and simmer very gently for about 6-7 mins. Remove the potato slices from the cream with a slotted spoon, place about two thirds of it in the bottom of your prepared dish. Layer over half of the fried peppers, then half of the Hogs Pudding. Cover with the rest of the potato in the pan. Press firmly down. Put that pan back on the heat and tip in the other half of the potato slices and simmer again for 6-7 mins.

Now back to your dish and spread over the remainder of the peppers and another layer of the Hogs Pudding. Press down again. Remove the other half of your sliced potato from the cream sauce and arrange over the top of the second layer of Hogs Pudding. No need to be exact and tidy with the slices, I just arranged until they were about even. 

Now add a tad more grated cheese to the remainder of the sauce, you want it fairly thick. You do not need the bake to be runny and the potato will already have absorbed a fair amount of the liquid. There should not be too much left as the potato absorbs quite a bit. Pour over, allowing it to trickle down the edges. Season the top of the potato slices to your taste and sprinkle over the grated Davidstow cheddar.

Bake for about 45 mins, until golden brown and bubbling away and the potatoes soft. Cool for 10-15 mins before serving. OR better yet, allow to go cold and re heat. Yum. The potatoes are simply Dauphinoise style and they are always better next time round! A bit like stew. But I have wondered if Kittows add a dash of clotted cream to the dish!?

Just absolutely delicious, as anyone from Fowey will attest! While I was there several came in for a lunchtime slice and Richard Kittow warms it in the microwave for customers.

My verdict? - my version is not quite as spicy, although very very similar. The original had more potatoes and less Hogs Pudding.  But very good, in fact delicious. To be honest I preferred more hogs pudding

Note: please accept my apologies if I have spelt anyone’s name wrong. I hope any followers from the Fowey area will give me their opinions!

Note 2: Try not to use large potatoes, you need the slices to be fairly small. I have a Oxo Good Grips mandolin and used the middle setting.

ps - you can order Kittows Hogs Pudding online orders@kittowsfowey.co.uk

another ps - those eagle eyed amongst you will notice there are no green peppers in the bake as stated. I went to the fridge when making the Bake and found I was out. Hey ho