from The Foods of Newfoundland and Labrador
Early century Newfoundland cookbooks did not include a recipe for Jiggs Dinner as no respectable housewife would need it since the dish was served every Sunday along with a main protein like roasted chicken, pork or beef. Not until the 2000’s, did a cookbook or food blogger write down the exact instructions for such an iconic dish. And so we turn to Bonita’s Kitchen who provides this recipe for you to enjoy.
Ingredients
2 pieces or more of salt beef or pork
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
1 cabbage, cut in four pieces (and/or turnip greens)
1 turnip, peeled and cut in slices
6 carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 medium onion
½ bag slit yellow peas
1 or 2 parsnips, peeled and cut in half
Pepper, to taste
1 tbsp butter
Method
Soak salt beef or salt pork riblets overnight in cold water or boil in large boiler for ½ hour then drain some of the pot liquor/water, add more cold water to lower the amount of salt on the beef and in the pot liquor, then add 1 medium peeled onion to pot.
Peas Pudding
Pour ½ bag of yellow split peas in a pudding bag and tie the top with a string. Soak overnight or start cooking peas in your pudding bag with salt beef or salt pork riblets for about 1 hour then check to see if split peas are cooked. Tie pudding bag to the handle of boiler to keep from falling totally in the pot liquor/water, only covered in water.
Note: You can remove the pudding bag from the pot or leave it in the water and add your vegetables with it.
Peel and add veggies to cold water overnight or for an hour before starting to cook them. Add cabbage and turnip to your pot then boil for another 15 minutes.
Then add carrots, cook for another 10 minutes, then add potatoes and parsnip to your pot then boil for another 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. When the salt beef or salt pork riblets and vegetables are cooked, remove peas pudding bag from pot then cut the string from bag and pour all peas into a bowl, mash with butter and pepper to taste.
Remove all vegetables from pot and put in separate bowl.
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: You can see a tutorial of Bonita’s Jiggs Dinner recipe at https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/recipe/jiggs-dinner-and-peas-pudding-traditional-newfoundland/ To purchase pudding bags, check out https://shopdownhome.com/Downhome-Pudding-Bag–Extra-Large–10x-21_p_3453.html
Recipe used with permission by author Jennifer Leigh Hill and Bonita’s Kitchen https://www.bonitaskitchen.com/recipe/jiggs-dinner-and-peas-pudding-traditional-newfoundland/
