A traditional panacalty recipe from North East England (2024)

A traditional dish throughout the North-East of England, particularly County Durham, panacalty. With layers of corned beef, potatoes and vegetables braised in beef stock, it's easy to see why this was once a regional favourite. In working-class communities and times of austerity this was a great way to use up any leftover vegetables and meat.

Recipe taken from Cooking With Heroes: The Royal British Legion Centenary Cookbook (£19.95, St James' House)

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 carrots, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
• 680g (2 x 340g tins) corned beef, sliced
• 550ml beef stock
• 50g butter, melted
• 100g smoked bacon lardons
• 6 medium eggs
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and cracked black pepper
• Crusty bread and butter to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

Layer a quarter of the sliced potatoes in a lightly buttered ovenproof dish, overlapping slightly, to cover the bottom and season with salt and black pepper.

Add a third of the onions, carrots and corned beef ensuring an even layer. Repeat twice more, creating three layers in total not forgettingto season each layer. Add a final layer of potatoes, again overlapping slightly, season, pour over the beef stock and brush the top with the melted butter.

Lay a sheet of baking parchment or greaseproof paper on the potatoes and cover with tin foil; place in the preheated oven and cook for about 50 minutes.

Once the vegetables have started to soften uncover and cook until golden and the stock has reduced.

In a frying pan cook the smoked bacon over a medium-high heat for around 4–6 minutes or until crispy; remove and keep warm. Use the same pan to fry your eggs and cook to your preference (add a little more oil if necessary).

Serve the panacalty with a fried egg, crispy bacon and chopped parsley on top, and crusty bread and butter on the side.

Cook's Tip: Make a vegetarian panacalty simply by omitting the corned beef (you can substitute it for sliced root veg) and swapping beef stock for veg stock.

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