Nigella backs faggots and paes
She's known as Britain's favourite exotic kitchen goddess but Nigella Lawson had more down-to-earth pleasures on her mind when she arrived in the Midlands and declared: "I really like faggots and paes."
She's known as Britain's favourite exotic kitchen goddess but Nigella Lawson had more down-to-earth pleasures on her mind when she arrived in the Midlands and declared: "I really like faggots and paes."
Famous for her love of far-flung ingredients she was keen to point out that regional cookery traditions all round the country are very important. The TV cook was at Borders at Birmingham's Bullring to promote her new recipe book Nigella Express.
But she said family recipes which have survived over history are very important as they often last longer than faddy dishes which come and go.
She said: "I really like faggots. I have had them and enjoyed them. My friend at university used to make faggots.
"I know what grey paes are as well. Somebody brought them for me. I think bacon and peas is such a winning combination, it really works. This type of food is cheap to make but it is very good.
"Many people have recipes like this that have been passed down by their grandmother.I love that type of thing. Recipes like this last a lot longer than trendy food that sometimes is served in restaurants."
Nigella said a recipe for black pudding and apples very nearly made it into her new book but she left it out at the last minute and was keen to tell the Express & Star she had eaten some for breakfast.
She added: "There's already a liver recipe in the book, so I decided against it as not everyone likes offal and the more unusual meat.
"Black pudding with apple is the French way of serving it."
Smaller and slimmer than she appears on TV, Nigella said she would even consider putting in some Black Country recipes as part of a possible book on regional cooking.
She said: "It would be a good idea to go all around the country and find some regional cooking favourites. I would also like to do a book on some of the recipes that people have used for years and passed on.
"However I wouldn't want to credit from that – I think it would have to be charity thing."
When asked about her knowledge of the Midlands she almost apologised for not having visited more often.
She joked: "All my family are in London so I don't tend to travel that much.
"I must hire a camper van, that would be good wouldn't it?"
And her favourite dish? "I would say chicken and mashed potato.
"I don't like processed food. Saying that though I've got a bit of thing for marrowfat peas."
