The Origins of York Ham

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Sunday, 16 September 2018 08:09

Written by Northern Living

Legend has it that the original York Hams were smoked with wood shavings left from the construction of The Minster. It's a nice tale but probably nothing more than that. There almost certainly is a link to St. Mary's Abbey in medieval times however. The monks produced vast quantities of Ale which was the drink of choice especially when water might well make you ill at the least, or kill you in extreme cases. The bi-products of brewing were large amounts of spent grain, which are ideal pig fodder. The local availability of large white pigs probably went hand in hand with this food source.

Although York Ham doesn't have protected designation of origin status there is a distinct difference from the inferior modern ham pressed from reformed Pork. Firstly it in not technically a Ham but rather a Gammon. The difference is that Ham is cured with the bone removed, whereas Gammon is cured with the bone in. The base ingredients for a York Ham are a good sized leg of Pork, Salt with Sugar and Saltpetre. The York ham is traditionally a dry cured Gammon from a Large White pig. It is slightly saltier and firmer textured than the hams we are probably used to today. They were laid on a bed of salt in the cellar on the stone slabs where it is cool and dry. November 11th – St Martins Day, was traditionally the first day of curing, as the weather is cooler, the pigs have been foraging and are now fat, and the flies are no longer an issue, so there was a good chance that ham and bacon would cure well. After a number of days in the salt, being turned and massaged regularly, they would then be hung up to dry for a minimum of 2 months. The longer the ageing process, the more the flavour changed and developed.

Smoked or not? This was probably down to personal choice of the person curing the meat. Smoking certainly assists with meat preservation. But a well cured York Ham will keep unrefrigerated for longer than required without the need to smoke it. The breadcrumbs? Almost certainly a later addition intended to please the eye rather than enhance the flavour. But there is a phrase “You eat with your eyes”...

Mister C's Fish & Chips - Selby

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Tuesday, 11 September 2018 09:04

Written by Northern Living

"Mister C’s first opened in 1981 on Barlby Road, Selby, North Yorkshire in 1986, before moving to our present location on Micklegate We are a family-run business and still use the same batter recipe we used on the day we opened, 35 years ago.

We believe in using only the highest quality ingredients, which come fresh from the sea and straight from the soil. We use only MSC certified cod and haddock. Our Icelandic fish is fresh frozen, having been frozen within four hours of being caught. We serve our fish alongside the finest potatoes Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have to offer, resulting in our award-winning fish and chips."

Well they are clearly not only doing something right, but excelling at it! Mister's has recently been awarded in the Top 10 of the National Fish & Chip Awards by SeaFish. Fish and Chip Shop of the year for 2019.

That's some achievement out of all the Fish & Chip shops in the UK.

Contact Details:-

Address:- 61 - 63 Micklegate, Selby. North Yorkshire.YO8 4EA

Tel:- 01757 701913

Website - www.mistercs.co.uk

Truffle Hunters - Modern Wedding & Party Catering

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Category: Food & Drink

Created on Saturday, 08 September 2018 13:15

Written by Northern Living

Modern Wedding & Party Catering - North Yorkshire's specialist Wedding & Party Caterers

Wedding Catering

Your event of a lifetime is safe in our hands. Trufflehunters is based in harrogate, serving Yorkshire with fantastic wedding party food and drink experiences for the last 7 years. Whether you want a formal multi course wedding breakfast to a more casual street food style event or even a hog roast or BBQ, we have the experience and skill to deliver your wedding exactly as you want. At trufflehunters our main priority is that your event goes better than you could ever imagine, we pride ourselves on great friendly service to a high standard.

Party Catering

We take care of everything for you to ensure your special event goes without a hitch.

We cater for:-

• Weddings
• Birthdays
• Private Parties
• Corporate Hospitality
• End of season parties
• End of game parties/cricket/football etc.
• Festivals & large events.

We can provide everything from the cutlery to the alcohol - just ask !

Our Team

Our chefs are professionally trained with years of experience on the front line not just hidden away in kitchens. They like nothing more than serving a great food and drink experience at your event. All our staff are friendly and very experienced and bring a strong sense of humour to each job. We have over 40 years of joint experience and bags of passion for what we do, we truly understand how to create good food and a great atmosphere to eat it in.

Bar Service

We can also supply drinks to ensure your party goes off. We have fantastic Wines & Fizz, Gins to die for and award winning Beer and Real Ales. We can even make a fantastic tailor made Cocktail Menu. We can supply cash bars to all inclusive drinks packages to accompany your event. From a classic Martini to a pint of exclusive Ale brewed especially for you we can help you create a truly unique drinks menu you guests will love.

Contact Details:-

Unit 10, Sycamore Business Park, Ripon, North Yorkshire. HG4 5DF

Tel:- 07877 680 322 / 01423 202 592

Web Address:- www.trufflehunters.co.uk

Facebook:- www.facebook.com/trufflehunters

Twitter:- https://twitter.com/chickenandpig