Читать книгу The Taste of Britain - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall - Страница 264

This cake is based on lard, the fat most commonly used in pig-rearing regions of Britain, which is incorporated into dough taken from the main batch at bread making. Wright (1896-1905) associates it with Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire but it was more widely known than that. Most counties appear to have made a version at one time, and they varied a little according to the fat used. Some called for the ‘flead’ or ‘flare’ - the kidney fat - to be used raw. Others used scratchings, the residue after fat has been rendered. Mayhew (1851) records trays of flare cakes for sale on the streets of London. As a food of the poor and of country people, lardy cakes escaped the attention of many early recipe collectors. They are now principally identified with the South, especially north and west of London. There are differences, especially in shape, between counties, but not of basic principle. Variant names include shaley or sharley cake (Wiltshire); dripping cake or ‘drips’ (Gloucestershire); bread cake (Shropshire). Apples or spices such as cinnamon may be included for variety.