Friday 9 September 2011

Friday Feast - Peggy's Pan Haggerty

My Mum (christened Margaret but always called Peggy) used to hate wash days on the odd occasions we lived in the UK when I was a child. For some reason when we lived back here she always fell into the old Monday washing, Tuesday ironing routine whereas overseas life was much more relaxed and flexible. So, Monday was not a good day over here if the weather was bad - I clearly remember anxiously praying for no precipitation (today's big word) rain on Mondays!

Another reason not to be thrilled about Mondays was the fact that, often for speed, it was generally cold meat from the Sunday joint with something like bubble and squeak or chips (shock, horror!). But, on a cold Winter's day there was nothing lovelier than getting in from school on a Monday to the smell of my Mum's version of Pan Haggerty.  As a 'Northern Lass' this went back to her roots, although most versions include cheese, so this was obviously my Mum's own spin on the dish which is why I've called it Peggy's Pan Haggerty :))

You need to think ahead and save a few slices of the leftover roast beef from the Sunday joint and any gravy - if you have any two-legged mice in the house then hide the beef behind things at the back of the fridge where they can't find it for midnight snacks!!

Peggy's Pan Haggerty

Ingredients

Left over roast beef - sliced (even just four slices can be halved and spread out a bit)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
8 rashers unsmoked back bacon - chopped into bite sized pieces
3 large potatoes (baked potato size) - peeled and thinly sliced
1 pint hot gravy (this can be part leftover gravy made up to a pint using one or two Oxo cubes - or all Oxo)

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.

In a deep casserole dish, layer half the onion, half the beef, half the bacon and half of the potatoes. 

Repeat with another layer of onion, beef, bacon and potatoes.

Add the hot gravy/Oxo stock until the stock is just up to the level of the top layer of potatoes but not covering them.

Pop casserole dish into the oven for approx. 90 minutes. Check it's cooked by poking a pointed knife or skewer down into the lower level of potatoes - the top layer of potato should be crisp and browned.
 Sorry this is all a bit vague, it's one of those dishes you grow up with and sort of cook by instinct. It was only this Monday that I actually took note of quantities and cooking times as I went along! I think you can use corned beef in place of the cold roast beef but I don't recall Mum making this with anything other than cold roast beef.

Happy cooking!

Di
x

12 comments:

  1. Oh wow, that looks so lovely, the pictures are making me hungry so it is a good job there isn't smellovision or I would be licking the screen lol.
    My nan always kept to the days of the week for certain tasks and I can often remember being fascinated by the whole day washing debacle, my mum a thoroughly modern lady used to pop the washing machine on whenever there was a load to do so the idea of spending a whole day just washing was fascinating to me. Nan also had a wash house outside of the farmhouse and it always smelled so lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh how I remember wash days - my mum even had a dolly tub when I was little!!!!! Yes i am that old!She wasn't a great cook so our Monday lunch was cold roast beef and mash! "You can live on it" as Crocodile Dundee says!! x Jo

    ReplyDelete
  3. Funny Twiglet but my mum did that too :-)
    Love your recipe today Di....now all I need to do is to cook a beef dinner on Sunday eh?
    Hugs,
    A x [that's A for Annie! :-) ]

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mmmm, looks scrumptious Di. I'd be licking the screen like Amanda too, if it were possible to taste your picture!

    Hugs, Sarn xxx

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds lovely Di...I am going to try this recipe

    ReplyDelete
  6. Another memory jogger, Di. My mum had a twin-tub - now there's a blast from the past - and Mondays were awful because of the loathsome washing? I know, I know, it had to be done but dinner was often a scratch meal and if it was raining - I won't dwell on the misery of laden clothes maidens gently steaming in front of the fire. Anyway, here in Scotland we have a similar dish called Stovies that was made with left over roast - with 5 children that was a rarity - potatoes and onions, etc. However, my mum made a very tasty version with sausages which we kids preferred. DH says your dish looks very like the Lancashire Hotpot his mum used to make. Oh, now see what you've done ... he's off way down memory lane ... :) Elizabeth x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow Di that looks amazing! I always use leftover roast beef to make hash. Can’t remember there ever being left over roast beef when I was growing up. My Mom never had a laundry day, she did it when ever the schedule on the farm permitted. I hated laundry day because the ironing always fell to me. Maybe that’s why I hate to iron to this day.
    Hugs
    Bernie

    ReplyDelete
  8. Di ...........This looks yummy :) Sandra H

    ReplyDelete
  9. Read your blog this morning with my first cuppa of the day, put me in a quandry, had beef the past two weeks and was going to have pork or lamb this week. Ummed and aarred, should I get beef again to try this on Monday. Went to butchers and he had a lovely piece of lamb so maybe next Monday I will try this.
    Bit like corned beef hash but without carrots and corned beef but plus bacon and beef... ok nothing like corned beef hash.

    Have a nice weekend Di.

    Kath x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh Kath - we miss you SO much. I hope you're at peace my darling girl xx

      Delete
  10. Oh this looks YUMM!!! I'm going to try this soon!!! Thanks for sharing.
    I guess that was just the ways of the times back then... But I still do most of my laundry on Mondays. No ironing for me, If it needs to be ironed I dont get it....

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks like real soothing comfort food - and done with corned beef it would be very like my Mum's version of hotpot. I love things that can just be left in the oven to look after themselves - and it means the smell tantalises you for ages so you're really hungry by the time it's ready.
    Monday was washing day for us too, and if it was too wet to hang it out, it was festooned on two clothes horses in front of the fire. The room filled up with muggy steam and the windows fogged up with condensation - ugh!
    Jane

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much if you take the time to comment!

This is a public blog. Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog or entering a piece of artwork into a linky do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog and in so doing have published their own personal details and consented to my use of that personal information should they be selected as a winner or to accredit work.