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Bedfordshire clanger

The Bedfordshire clanger (also called the Hertfordshire clanger, Trowley dumpling,[1] or simply the clanger) is a dish from Bedfordshire and adjacent counties in England, such as Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.[2] It dates back to at least the 19th century. It is still available at various bakers and served at some cafes, restaurants and local places of interest.

Bedfordshire clanger
Alternative namesHertfordshire clanger, Trowley dumpling
Typeboiled suet dumpling (traditional); baked pastry (some modern recipes)
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Region or stateSouth Midlands (Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire; also Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Huntingdonshire)
Associated cuisineEnglish cuisine
Serving temperaturehot, or ambient temperature
Main ingredientssuet pastry; liver or meat; potatoes; onions; jam or fruit
Ingredients generally usedsage
Similar dishesBacon Badger (Buckinghamshire); Bacon Pudding (Sussex)

The word "clanger" is related to the dialect term "clung", which Joseph Wright glossed as meaning "heavy", in relation to food.[3][4]

Description edit

The clanger is an elongated suet crust dumpling, sometimes described as a savoury type of roly-poly pudding.[5][6] Its name may refer to its dense consistency: Wright's 19th-century English Dialect Dictionary recorded the phrase "clung dumplings" from Bedfordshire, citing "clungy" and "clangy" as adjectives meaning heavy or close-textured.[4]

Clangers were historically made by women for their husbands to take to their agricultural work as a midday meal: it has been suggested that the crust was not originally intended for consumption but to protect the fillings from the soiled hands of the workers.[7] They could be eaten cold, or warmed by being wrapped in damp newspaper under a brazier.[1] While sometimes associated with the hatmakers of the Luton district,[8] the same dish was also recorded in rural Buckinghamshire,[3] Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.[1]

Preparation edit

It was traditionally boiled in a cloth like other suet puddings,[9] though some modern recipes use a shortcrust or other pastry and suggest baking it like a pasty, a method dating from a 1990s revival of the dish by a commercial bakery.[10] The dumpling can be filled with liver and onion,[11] bacon and potatoes,[3] pork and onions,[12] or other meat and vegetables, and flavoured with the garden herb sage.

Usually a savoury dish, clangers were 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.[6] A 1959 reference also suggests that clangers were usually savoury, stating that the version with a sweet filling in one end was called the Trowley Dumpling after the hamlet in west Hertfordshire where it was supposed to have originated.[13][1] There is some doubt as to how often a sweet filling was traditionally added in practice,[12] though modern recipes often imitate the folklore by including one.

Variations edit

A similar dumpling was known in parts of Buckinghamshire, particularly Aylesbury Vale, as a "Bacon Badger".[3] It was made from bacon, potatoes and onions, flavoured with sage and enclosed in a suet pastry case, and was usually boiled in a cloth.[14][8] The etymology of "badger" is unknown, but might relate to a former term for a dealer in flour.[15] "Badger" was widely used in the Midland counties in the early 19th century to refer to a "cornfactor, mealman, or huckster".[16] The same basic suet dumpling recipe is known by a variety of other names elsewhere in the country; "flitting pudding" is recorded in County Durham, "dog in blanket" from Derbyshire,[17] and "bacon pudding" in Berkshire and Sussex.

In popular culture edit

A baked "clanger" featured as a signature bake in episode 8 of Series 8 of The Great British Bake Off.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d Jones-Baker, Doris (1977). The Folklore of Hertfordshire. Batsford. pp. 190–191. ISBN 9780713432664.
  2. ^ "The geographical name is not quite accurate, as clangers in modified form have also been sighted in Bucks, Herts and Cambs, and in Hunts until 1974 when Hunts was abolished". Cotchin, R. "A Monumental Clanger" The Countryman, vol. 87 (1982), 45-46
  3. ^ a b c d Harman, Horace (1929). Buckinghamshire Dialect. S.R. p. 143. ISBN 9780854095810.
  4. ^ a b Wright English Dialect Dictionary, p.669
  5. ^ "...bacon clanger, a roly-poly of bacon chopped up with sage and onion, and rolled in a suet crust" Potter, Eleanor (1995). Yeomen of the Cotswolds. p. 95. ISBN 9781897817483.
  6. ^ a b "Clanger: Make a suet paste with a little chopped sage leaf and salt to taste. Roll out and spread with seasoned chopped liver and onion, roll and tie up in a cloth, boil until cooked. Time depends on size. 'alf an' 'alf: Roll out plain suet paste and spread half with jam and the other half with finely chopped potatoes and pork. Roll up and boil in a cloth". C. F. Mackay Brown, "Some Bedfordshire Recipes", Bedfordshire Magazine, vol 10-11 (1966), 20
  7. ^ "How do you cook a proper Bedfordshire Clanger?". Bedfordshire on Sunday. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  8. ^ a b Croft-Cooke, Rupert (1960). English Cooking: A new approach. W H Allen. p. 217.
  9. ^ Cotchin (1982), 46
  10. ^ Webb, Andrew (2012). Food Britannia. p. 358. ISBN 9781409022220.
  11. ^ "Clangers made of liver and onion, bacon turn-overs, suet rolls, and apple pies were favourite packed meals, and were often 'het up' on the engine boiler at threshing time".Meynell, Laurence (1950). Bedfordshire. Hale. p. 68.
  12. ^ a b Morsley, Clifford (1983). News from the English Countryside, 1851-1950. Harrap. p. 259.
  13. ^ Shears, William Sidney (1959). The Face of England: A Book of the Shires and Counties. Spring Books. p. 344.
  14. ^ Mashiter, Rosa (1989) A Little English Cookbook. Belfast: Appletree Press; pp. 28–31
  15. ^ Buckingham Bacon Badger, accessed 15-02-18
  16. ^ The Gentleman's Magazine, Volume 88 (1800), 1259
  17. ^ Schofield, Eunice. "Food and Cooking of the Working Class about 1900", Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire (1971), v.123, 162

bedfordshire, clanger, also, called, hertfordshire, clanger, trowley, dumpling, simply, clanger, dish, from, bedfordshire, adjacent, counties, england, such, buckinghamshire, hertfordshire, dates, back, least, 19th, century, still, available, various, bakers, . The Bedfordshire clanger also called the Hertfordshire clanger Trowley dumpling 1 or simply the clanger is a dish from Bedfordshire and adjacent counties in England such as Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire 2 It dates back to at least the 19th century It is still available at various bakers and served at some cafes restaurants and local places of interest Bedfordshire clangerAlternative namesHertfordshire clanger Trowley dumplingTypeboiled suet dumpling traditional baked pastry some modern recipes Place of originUnited KingdomRegion or stateSouth Midlands Bedfordshire Buckinghamshire also Hertfordshire Cambridgeshire Huntingdonshire Associated cuisineEnglish cuisineServing temperaturehot or ambient temperatureMain ingredientssuet pastry liver or meat potatoes onions jam or fruitIngredients generally usedsageSimilar dishesBacon Badger Buckinghamshire Bacon Pudding Sussex The word clanger is related to the dialect term clung which Joseph Wright glossed as meaning heavy in relation to food 3 4 Contents 1 Description 2 Preparation 3 Variations 4 In popular culture 5 See also 6 ReferencesDescription editThe clanger is an elongated suet crust dumpling sometimes described as a savoury type of roly poly pudding 5 6 Its name may refer to its dense consistency Wright s 19th century English Dialect Dictionary recorded the phrase clung dumplings from Bedfordshire citing clungy and clangy as adjectives meaning heavy or close textured 4 Clangers were historically made by women for their husbands to take to their agricultural work as a midday meal it has been suggested that the crust was not originally intended for consumption but to protect the fillings from the soiled hands of the workers 7 They could be eaten cold or warmed by being wrapped in damp newspaper under a brazier 1 While sometimes associated with the hatmakers of the Luton district 8 the same dish was also recorded in rural Buckinghamshire 3 Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire 1 Preparation editIt was traditionally boiled in a cloth like other suet puddings 9 though some modern recipes use a shortcrust or other pastry and suggest baking it like a pasty a method dating from a 1990s revival of the dish by a commercial bakery 10 The dumpling can be filled with liver and onion 11 bacon and potatoes 3 pork and onions 12 or other meat and vegetables and flavoured with the garden herb sage Usually a savoury dish clangers were 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 6 A 1959 reference also suggests that clangers were usually savoury stating that the version with a sweet filling in one end was called the Trowley Dumpling after the hamlet in west Hertfordshire where it was supposed to have originated 13 1 There is some doubt as to how often a sweet filling was traditionally added in practice 12 though modern recipes often imitate the folklore by including one Variations editA similar dumpling was known in parts of Buckinghamshire particularly Aylesbury Vale as a Bacon Badger 3 It was made from bacon potatoes and onions flavoured with sage and enclosed in a suet pastry case and was usually boiled in a cloth 14 8 The etymology of badger is unknown but might relate to a former term for a dealer in flour 15 Badger was widely used in the Midland counties in the early 19th century to refer to a cornfactor mealman or huckster 16 The same basic suet dumpling recipe is known by a variety of other names elsewhere in the country flitting pudding is recorded in County Durham dog in blanket from Derbyshire 17 and bacon pudding in Berkshire and Sussex In popular culture editA baked clanger featured as a signature bake in episode 8 of Series 8 of The Great British Bake Off See also editPasty List of pastriesReferences edit a b c d Jones Baker Doris 1977 The Folklore of Hertfordshire Batsford pp 190 191 ISBN 9780713432664 The geographical name is not quite accurate as clangers in modified form have also been sighted in Bucks Herts and Cambs and in Hunts until 1974 when Hunts was abolished Cotchin R A Monumental Clanger The Countryman vol 87 1982 45 46 a b c d Harman Horace 1929 Buckinghamshire Dialect S R p 143 ISBN 9780854095810 a b Wright English Dialect Dictionary p 669 bacon clanger a roly poly of bacon chopped up with sage and onion and rolled in a suet crust Potter Eleanor 1995 Yeomen of the Cotswolds p 95 ISBN 9781897817483 a b Clanger Make a suet paste with a little chopped sage leaf and salt to taste Roll out and spread with seasoned chopped liver and onion roll and tie up in a cloth boil until cooked Time depends on size alf an alf Roll out plain suet paste and spread half with jam and the other half with finely chopped potatoes and pork Roll up and boil in a cloth C F Mackay Brown Some Bedfordshire Recipes Bedfordshire Magazine vol 10 11 1966 20 How do you cook a proper Bedfordshire Clanger Bedfordshire on Sunday 13 April 2014 Retrieved 2 February 2016 a b Croft Cooke Rupert 1960 English Cooking A new approach W H Allen p 217 Cotchin 1982 46 Webb Andrew 2012 Food Britannia p 358 ISBN 9781409022220 Clangers made of liver and onion bacon turn overs suet rolls and apple pies were favourite packed meals and were often het up on the engine boiler at threshing time Meynell Laurence 1950 Bedfordshire Hale p 68 a b Morsley Clifford 1983 News from the English Countryside 1851 1950 Harrap p 259 Shears William Sidney 1959 The Face of England A Book of the Shires and Counties Spring Books p 344 Mashiter Rosa 1989 A Little English Cookbook Belfast Appletree Press pp 28 31 Buckingham Bacon Badger accessed 15 02 18 The Gentleman s Magazine Volume 88 1800 1259 Schofield Eunice Food and Cooking of the Working Class about 1900 Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire 1971 v 123 162 Portals nbsp England nbsp Food Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bedfordshire clanger amp oldid 1221210512, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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