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WINE BRAISED TRIPE

European Peasant Cookery
by Elisabeth Luard

Tripes à la mode de Caen (France)
A simple, fresh-tasting recipe for this delicious and much neglected meat. Mlle Morell served it as her post pig-killing dish. Her mother handed down to her a special tripe pot, a tripiere, a glazed earthenware dish with a narrow mouth which kept all the juices sealed in during the long cooking. The dish was taken to the local baker's oven to be left in all day as the oven cooled after the morning's bread baking.
Quantity: Enough for 5-6
Time: Preparation: 20-25 minutes
Cooking: 3 hours if the tripe has already been pre-cooked. If not, start early and allow 10 hours

Ingredients

• 2 lb well-washed pre-blanched tripe
• 2-3 large carrots
• 4-5 small turnips
• 2 onions or leeks
• 2 bay leaves, 1 sprig thyme, rosemary
• 4 glasses dry white wine
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh herbs to finish (marjoram, spring onion top, Italian parsley)

• Utensils: A casserole with a well-fitting lid or a tripiere

Directions

Cut the prepared tripe into 1 inch squares.
Scrape and chunk the carrots.
Wash and quarter the turnips.
Peel and chop the onions or wash, trim and chop the leeks.

Put all the ingredients in your casserole or tripiere - you may need more or less wine to cover, depending on the shape of your casserole. Seal the lid with a flour and water paste. Put the casserole in a low oven to cook for 3 hours.

Chop the fresh herbs and stir them in right at the end of the cooking time. A glass of marc (or any white brandy such as Calvados) can be poured in just before you serve it.

Serve the tripe in its own dish, with big white napkins to tuck under each diner's chin.
Accompany the tripe with plenty of thick cut bread to mop up the gelatinous juices, together with a salad of crisp lettuce and chunked tomatoes, dressed with quite a sharp vinaigrette. Wash it down with more of the white wine you used in the cooking - tripe is thirsty work.