Fat Dogs Welsh Recipes
In Fat Dogs and Welsh Estates, I talk about the delicious meals we were given as children. Generally home-grown or locally sourced, Ma’s ingredients were gathered from the kitchen garden, land and sea. We ate like royalty, although that perhaps doesn’t describe the origins of Welsh cuisine accurately. It wasn’t until later that I learned more about the essence of traditional Welsh cooking.
Welsh recipes passed down the generations among country folk were intended to sustain quarrymen, coalmen, farm labourers and their families. Mindful of our climate and the long working hours many people endured, meals were simple and hearty, though not lacking in variety or flavour.
As for my favourites? It’s impossible to say. Instead, I offer you a selection of sweets and savouries I enjoyed as a child, together with some Welsh culinary heroes. I have included links generously shared by contributors for each recipe, but don’t stop there. Many provide details on several other dishes and snippets about our gastronomic history, so they’re worth exploring.
