The Jolly Hog - The Pigs in Blankets Cookbook: 50 Bacon & Sausage Showstoppers (not just for Christmas)

Whoever decided to wrap a piece of streaky bacon around a sausage is, in our eyes, a god! This cookbook has one purpose and one purpose only to celebrate the Pig in Blanket. Or the PIB, as we fondly call it.

What was known as a festive treat that compliments the turkey is now a lot more than that, as you will discover in this book. These recipes span the seasons from summery lettuce cups to an extremely indulgent festive fondue.

This book is brought to you by The Jolly Hog, a bunch of meat-obsessive brothers based in Bristol. The Jolly Hog was started by professional rugby player Olly Kohn and his brothers Josh and Max. What started off with a small sausage machine and an events business selling sausages is now a meat brand that can be found in major supermarkets.

The Jolly Hog outdoor-bred PIBS are made with dry-cured, double-smoked, black-treacle bacon and the sausage meat is coarsely ground and seasoned with sage.

We hope you love and enjoy making these recipes as much as we do.

Olly, Max & Josh
The Jolly Hog

What could be a better recipe for Christmas than a savoury pigs-in-blankets trifle?! Combining two of the signature foods of Christmas trifle and pigs in blankets this crazy food idea doesnt just look epic, but also tastes amazing.

SERVES: 46

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes

• 150g light muscovado sugar
• 100ml Cointreau
• 400g fresh or frozen cranberries
• sea salt

• 6 The Jolly Hog Smoked Rashers Streaky Bacon
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice

• 250g brioche, cut into chunks
• sea salt
• 5kg potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 30 The Jolly Hog Pigs in Blankets
• 50g butter
• 200ml cream
• small bunch of watercress, to garnish

1 Put the sugar and Cointreau into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to bubble until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cranberries to the pan with a pinch of salt and stir well. Return to the boil and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.

2 In the meantime, put the bacon into a frying pan over a medium heat and cook for 78 minutes until its just done but not crisped. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

3 Put the sugar and orange juice into the frying pan. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, then turn up the heat and return the bacon to the pan. Cook, turning the bacon regularly until it is browned and caramelised. Transfer to a plate to cool.

4 Scatter half of the brioche over the bottom of a deep trifle bowl. Pour over half of the cranberry sauce, then put the remaining bread into the cranberry pan and stir. Set aside for the sauce to soak into the bread.

5 Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add some salt and the potato chunks and bring it back to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes until the potato is very tender.

6 While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large frying pan and cook the pigs in blankets for 58 minutes until browned all over and cooked through.

7 When the potatoes are cooked, drain well, then return to the hot pan along with the butter and cream, and season well with salt and pepper. Mash until completely smooth. Keep warm.

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