Information on Tripe & Elder
Submitted by earthworm on February 25, 2009 - 03:11
My grandfather's family came from the Ashton-Underline area of England. In my very younger days I remember him talking about "Tripe and Elder" I know what tripe is, but what is Elder (I may not even be spelling it right)? I saw a reference on a website stating that it was pressed cows udder, is this correct?
I remember he used to travel here in America almost an hour to purchase it from possibly a market or store. I would be quite interested in knowing the history of this dish if anyone knows. I can get the tripe and fresh udders (if that is what the elder is).
Thanks in advance
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I'll look into this for you.
I'll look into this for you.
Edited to add: Elder is indeed steamed cow's udder. (The word is originally Middle Dutch of the 1400's or thereabouts, and has nothing to do with the elder plant or tree. In Dutch it simply meant "udder" as well.) Apparently the town of Bury in Lancashire was particularly famous for the tripe-and-elder combination. It's worth remembering, though, that both udder and tripe were valued as delicacies by the Romans -- some of the most fastidious gourmet cooks ever to grace the planet -- and the dish may well have been in England since the time Hadrian's Wall was built. (Maybe that's even a reason why it has lingered longer in the North than elsewhere.)
Here are a few links to look at:
My guess is that if elder was prepared correctly/sensitively, it could be a very tasty meat and would sneak under most people's radar quite effectively. (As tripe can if someone eats it well made for the first time without being told what it is, and having their experience colored by preconceptions.
BTW, the Google book / article above mentions Grigson's recipe for elder. Here it is:
"[Elder] is sold ready cooked, by the slice. It looks like pale liver, but has a softer texture. All you need to do is fry it in butter until lightly browned on both sides. Good when amalgamated with young white turnips -- peel, dice and parboil the turnips. Finish the cooking in butter in a sauté pan, sprinkling them with a little sugar so they caramelize slightly. Remove the turnips to a hot serving dish. Heat the udder through in the juices, and put with the turnips, cutting into strips if you like. Deglaze the pan with white wine, bubble it down, whisk in a few little cubes of fresh butter, to make a sauce, then pour over the udder and turnips."
-- EuroCuisineLady
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