Starter: Dock pudding with bacon and egg (Doris Hirst)

Published: Thursday, 11 October 2007, 12:12PM

WARNING: ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING NETTLES. HANDLE THE NETTLES AND DOCK LEAVES WITH CARE AND WASH THOROUGHLY BEFORE COOKING.

INGREDIENTS
900 g fresh young dock leaves
200 g nettles
2 large Spanish onions
Water
Salt and pepper
1 handful of oatmeal
3 rashers Unsmoked rindless bacon
2 good pork sausages
1 knob butter
Oil
1 Egg

METHOD
1. Remove the stalks from the dock leaves and the nettles. Chop the onions.
2. Place the dock leaves with a pinch of salt in a sauce pan with boiling water.
3. Add the onions and nettles and boil for 50 minutes.
4. Add the oatmeal and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
5. Drain the contents of the pan thoroughly in a colander.
6. Fry the bacon and sausage together in a pan.
7. Once the bacon and sausages are cooked. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
8. Transfer the dock mixture to the bacon frying pan and fry for 5 minutes in a little butter.
9. In a separate pan, fry the egg in a little oil.
10. Serve the sausages, bacon and dock pudding with a fried egg on top.