Exploring Food from Cornwall

The town of Mousehole.
A quintessential Cornish village.

A few years back I stayed with a friend at Headland House in St. Ive's Cornwall, England.  Amidst my ramblings round Cornwall, it was here, at this fine B&B, that I enjoyed some of the heartiest of Cornish fare, including a Bacon and Egg Pie (recreated in my kitchen, see below). You'll never find more substantial, flavorful comfort food than in the villages and farmhouses of County Cornwall.

Palms I spied growing on a hillside
near Penzance.

Cornwall, raggedly jutting out into the Atlantic, is England's farthest point west.  It could almost be an island, nearly separated from the rest of Britain by the River Tamar.  With the Bristol Channel to its north and the English Channel to its south, Cornwall's climate is surprisingly temperate.  Its weather is so nice there are palm trees growing naturally.   It's craggy coasts, haunting moors, and subterranean climate make Cornwall an odd and mystical place. 

A recipe book I purchases in St. Ives. 

Cornishmen are a tough breed, weathered by their remoteness and defined by their fishing and mining culture.  Their accent is incredibly distinct (almost bizarre) and their work ethic and traditions are staunchly set.  Thoroughly loyal to the Crown even today, Cornishmen are proud of their distinctive celtic roots and language.   My father's family hails from a Cornish town on the Tamar called St. Colomb Major.  It was a moving experience to see the tombstones of my great great grandparents and other distant relatives in one of the church yards I visited.     During my travels up and down the Cornish coasts I've discovered such things as Cornish Pasty, Mutton and Turnip Pie, Marinated Pilchards (a pilchard, you say?), and rich Saffron Cake, among other common dishes.    The food in Cornwall isn't complicated, over seasoned, or even that astounding.  But its all good and filling and sticks to your ribs.  Butter, flour, lard and fish.  These are the staples.  The English get a bad wrap for their food, but a holiday to Cornwall will set the record straight.  After all, who can go wrong with, say, a dinner of Baked Herrings smothered in crab devil sauce and a dessert of "Railway Pudding" and Cornish clotted cream?

Cornish Bacon and Egg Pie,
with fingerling potatoes.

Friday was a cold day in Richmond, with rain pattering steadily.   I stayed in all day, holed up by the fire, sleeping. Around noon I decided to make something tasty and eggy.  I happened across a little book, Favourite Cornish Recipes.  I bought this book at the Headland House B&B in St. Ives.  I paged through it and found just the right recipe:   Bacon and Egg Pie, from Wadebridge.   Simple, easy, and sure-to-be-good.  A few "rashers" of bacon and some spicy sausage thrown into a dish lined with shortcrust pastry, then parsley, herbs to season, and whipped eggs on tip, covered in puff pastry and baked for nearly an hour, produced a delicious solution to the afternoon hunger.   I served it with fried fingerling potatoes and, of course, a pot of tea (Twinings, Prince of Wales blend).     Taking the first bite, I sighed with satisfaction.  I could almost hear the waves crashing on Carbis Bay in little St. Ives as I took the second bite.   The afternoon could not have gotten better.