![]() Pigs in blankets, prepped but not yet cooked | |
Alternative names | Soldiers in kilts |
---|---|
Type | Sausage wrapped in bacon |
Course | Side dish |
Place of origin | UK and Ireland |
Main ingredients | Chipolata, cocktail sausage, hot dog or other sausage |
325 per 100g kcal | |
Pigs in blankets, kilted sausages or kilted soldiers is a dish served in the United Kingdom and Ireland consisting of small sausages (usually chipolatas) wrapped in bacon. They are a popular and traditional accompaniment to roast turkey in a Christmas dinner and are served as a side dish.
Pigs in blankets is a dish served in the United Kingdom and Ireland consisting of small sausages (usually chipolatas) wrapped in bacon. [1] [2] [3] [4]
In general it is a seasonal item, seldom offered commercially outside the Christmas season, and it has spawned food-industry offshoot products such as pigs-in-blankets flavoured mayonnaise, peanuts, chips, vaping liquid, and chocolates as well as versions of Christmas-associated consumer items such as pajamas made with a pigs-in-blankets print. [5] [6] Tesco in 2019 reported that a majority of shoppers they surveyed planned to serve the dish at Christmas dinner and that more planned to serve pigs in blankets than any other side dish, including Yorkshire pudding, another traditional Christmas dish. [7]
According to Good Housekeeping and The Independent , they are considered a staple of the Christmas season. [8] [9] In 2013, 12 December was declared National Pigs in Blankets Day. [10] [11] [12]
Traditionally the sausage used is a cocktail-sized pork-based chipolata and the wrapping a streaky bacon, but variations include those using chorizo or chicken sausage, using sausages with added ingredients such as apples or chestnuts, using full-sized chipolatas, or using flavored or smoked bacon. [2] Commercially available varieties may have around 325 calories and 22 g of fat per 100 g serving. [13]
The wrapped sausages may be pan-fried, baked, or a combination. [2] [14]
They are a popular and traditional accompaniment to roast turkey in a Christmas dinner and are served as a side dish. [2] [15] [16] They may also be served on Boxing Day. [17]
In Denmark, there is a bacon-wrapped sausage served in a bun known as the Pølse i svøb , which means "sausage in blanket", usually sold at hot dog stands known as pølsevogne (sausage-wagons). [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]
In Austria and Germany, a sausage filled with cheese and wrapped in bacon is known as Berner Würstel or Bernese sausages. [23]
In Luxembourg, Blanne Jang is a scalded sausage filled with cheese and wrapped in bacon. [24] [25]
The American dish pigs in a blanket is sometimes confused with this dish, but their only similarity is the name and the fact the foundation ingredient is a wrapped sausage; [26] the US dish wraps the sausage in bread or pastry dough. [27] [28]
In some parts of the US heavily influenced by Polish immigration, "pigs in a blanket" may refer to stuffed cabbage rolls, such as the Polish gołąbki. [29] [30]
A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs, may be included as fillers or extenders.
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the spiciest cuisine in Europe This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarian paprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.
Pigs in a blanket in the United States is a small hot dog or other sausage wrapped in pastry similar to a sausage roll in the UK, it is commonly served as an appetizer in the United States. The similarity in name with that of the UK dish pigs in blankets, which is a sausage wrapped in bacon, sometimes causes confusion.
A blood sausage is a sausage filled with blood that is cooked or dried and mixed with a filler until it is thick enough to solidify when cooled. Most commonly, the blood of pigs, sheep, lamb, cow, chicken, or goose is used.
Offal, also called variety meats, pluck or organ meats, is the internal organs of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, and these lists of organs vary with culture and region, but usually exclude skeletal muscle. Offal may also refer to the by-products of milled grains, such as corn or wheat.
Toad in the hole is a traditional English dish consisting of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, usually served with onion gravy and vegetables. Historically, the dish has also been prepared using other meats, such as rump steak and lamb's kidney. In the 21st century, vegetarian and vegan versions have appeared.
Danish cuisine originated from the peasant population's own local produce and was enhanced by cooking techniques developed in the late 19th century and the wider availability of goods during and after the Industrial Revolution. Open sandwiches, known as smørrebrød, which in their basic form are the usual fare for lunch, can be considered a national speciality when prepared and garnished with a variety of ingredients. Hot meals are typically prepared with meat or fish. Substantial meat and fish dishes includes flæskesteg and kogt torsk with mustard sauce and trimmings. Ground meats became widespread during the industrial revolution and traditional dishes that are still popular include frikadeller, karbonader and medisterpølse. Denmark is known for its Carlsberg and Tuborg beers and for its akvavit and bitters, but amongst the Danes themselves imported wine has gained steadily in popularity since the 1960s.
Rice pudding is a dish made from rice mixed with water or milk and commonly other ingredients such as sweeteners, spices, flavourings and sometimes eggs.
Dutch cuisine is formed from the cooking traditions and practices of the Netherlands. The country's cuisine is shaped by its location on the fertile Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta on the European Plain bordering the North Sea, giving rise to fishing, farming, and overseas trade. Due to the availability of water and flat grassland, the Dutch diet contains many dairy products such as cheese and butter, and is relatively high in carbohydrates and fat.
A chipolata is a type of fresh sausage, likely created in France. Sausages by that name appear in the 1903 edition of Escoffier's Le guide culinaire. Chipolatas are often prepared as a relatively thin and short sausage.
Christmas dinner is a meal traditionally eaten at Christmas. This meal can take place any time from the evening of Christmas Eve to the evening of Christmas Day itself. The meals are often particularly rich and substantial, in the tradition of the Christian feast day celebration, and form a significant part of gatherings held to celebrate the arrival of Christmastide. In many cases, there is a ritual element to the meal related to the religious celebration, such as the saying of grace.
Different areas of the world have local variations on the hot dog, in the type of meat used, the condiments added, and its means of preparation.
Smörgåsbord is a buffet-style meal of Swedish origin. It is served with various hot and mainly cold dishes.
Turkey meat, commonly referred to as just turkey, is the meat from turkeys, typically domesticated turkeys, but also wild turkeys. It is a popular poultry dish, especially in North America and the United Kingdom, where it is traditionally consumed as part of culturally significant events such as Thanksgiving and Christmas respectively, as well as in standard cuisine.
Pea soup or split pea soup is soup made typically from dried peas, such as the split pea. It is, with variations, a part of the cuisine of many cultures. It is most often greyish-green or yellow in color depending on the regional variety of peas used; all are cultivars of Pisum sativum.
Bacon-wrapped foods are foods that are prepared by being covered in bacon. They may be baked, fried, or grilled. Popular bacon-wrapped dishes include angels on horseback, devils on horseback, and pigs in blankets. Bacon has long been used for barding roasts, especially game birds.