How To Make Faggots

Traditionally, faggots are wrapped in some kind of skin, rather like sausages, and poached in stock or gravy, which is what gives them that lovely soft texture, but these faggots are partly baked to stop them falling apart (without a skin), so they’re soft in the middle and crisp on the outside. Don’t be put off by the ingredients – or the name – if you haven’t tried these before. They’re very tasty, and with 1lb of pork mince costing around £2 and 1 lb of lambs’ liver at less than £1 in the supermarket, they’re also very cheap. (Wrap a rasher of streaky bacon around each faggot if you like, or leave them as they are.) Makes 10 faggots

1. Step 1:

   Prepare the liver in the usual way by rinsing in a colander under the cold tap and snipping off any little bits of skin or sinew with kitchen scissors.

2. Step 2:

   Break up the mince in an ovenproof dish and mix with the roughly chopped liver and onion then pour on the stock, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

3. Step 3:

   Remove the cooked meat and onion from the stock and mince coarsely, either by putting it all through a mincer, or by pulsing in the food processor for a few seconds. (Don’t overdo it and reduce the whole lot to slush.)

4. Step 4:

   Add the breadcrumbs, herbs and cayenne pepper to the meat mixture and squish it all together so it’s properly combined.

5. Step 5:

   Form into cakes with your hands and place the faggots on a lightly oiled baking tray.

6. Step 6:

   Bake in the oven on Gas Mark 5 (190°C) for another 30 minutes and serve with gravy, mashed potatoes and vegetables.