Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Pigs-in-a-Blanket, Wee! Wee!

Major news! 
I've cracked the code on what to my mind is a very American breakfast. We would always have little piggies nestled in a blanket on the weekends, when visiting my sister and her family or for a special treat when I was a kid, warm and fluffy from the Brookshire Bros. bakery. I know it's not a delicacy but these are the things you miss when living abroad. All the years I lived in Ireland I couldn't make pigs-in-a-blanket because while I could find the unbaked croissants there were no sausages remotely like 'little smokies'. Everyone knows you have to have a little smoky to make a piggie!

Here's how my eureka happened. I went to dinner at Mme Bonne Amie's house last week and she served hot dog sausages cut up in small pieces and tucked inside fluffy pastry. It was similar to a piggie but the weiner was all wrong. I've had these as starters before from the freezer giant Picard doused in mustard, coated in tomato paste and other varieties so I knew they wrapped sausages in flaky pastry.

Here is where it all came together for me...the big moment, I know, it's very exciting, non?
First, I remembered that I'd seen cocktail sausages and the packet said they were smoked. Note to self.
Second, Mme Bonne Amie said she used a certain type of pastry from the refrigerated section to make hers.
Third, I realized that just because the croissants aren't already cut into little perforated triangles for me like in the good old US of A doesn't mean I can't cut them into triangles myself. I know, I'm not too bright. Maybe  you've already thought of this one thousand times over and have been eating pigs-in-a-blanket to your heart's content, laughing wee, wee, wee all the way home.
For me, it took a bit longer. But now I know and there's no turning back. I'm planning so many lovely things with my newfound knowledge.

This morning I made authentic piggies for my American kids; at least that's what their passports say but I'm beginning to wonder because they didn't remember ever eating pigs-in-a-blanket and couldn't see why I was so ecstatic. They did, however want to put ketchup on them so that made me feel better.
When I opened the packet of smoked sausages they were covered in jelly...what is it with the Frenchies and jelly on their meat? Don't let this put you off, it certainly didn't bother the Baby who ate two before I could grab them out of his piggly-wiggly fingers, just wipe them off before you roll them in your pastry triangles.

That's all from this end for today.

Magic Ingredients to make non-fussy, authentic Pigs-in-a-Blanket follow:

1 packet 'La Cocktail' weiners 'Fumee au bois de hetre' (beech-smoked)
1 packet Pate Feuilletee

Take pastry out of the fridge for 10 minutes before working with it. Unroll and cut it in half and then fold and cut into triangles just like the dough boy does for you with his little perforations. Who needs the dough boy when you've a pizza cutter anyway?
Place your de-jellied cocktail sausages inside and roll up into a pretty little blanket with one triangle tip coming to a point in the middle of the sausage.
Bake on parchment paper at the recommended temperature and time.

Warning: Do Not Use plain hot dog weiners because it just won't be the same no matter what anyone says. Trust me.

10 comments:

  1. This post made me so happy! Every time my family would visit my mom's relatives in PA, we'd stop at the farmers' market and get a container of pigs-in-a-blanket. They are the most delicious snack on earth (especially when there's a little cheesy goodness in the dough)! Now I am craving them so badly!!!

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  2. Good work! I love being able to come up with home-town favorites from what we can find in France - sure the kids loved it! Let me know if you find a solution for Mexican, refried beans anytime soon :)

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  3. Of course it's the Americans who appreciated today's post. Sausage rolls aren't the same are they?
    Brenna,
    Thanks! Hope you'll make them.

    Linds,
    I'm so glad it made you happy. My day's work is done! Try making them...I'm afraid you'll have to hurry because I've a feeling the little smokies are seasonal.
    Tuula,
    I love your name...and thanks! As a matter of fact I'm working on refried beans at the moment but have mastered black beans cuban style if you're interested.

    bisous,
    aidan

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  4. You are the best American mom in town! Awesome! x

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  5. Sara,
    I'm the ONLY american mom in town!

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  6. You are wrong, also THIS Italian appreciates this post, if not for the taste of the pigs-in-a blanket certainly for the humour in it!

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  7. The things we take for granted! What kind of jelly do the wienies come in? Is it like the jelly stuff that canned cocktail sausages come in?

    I like to put grape jelly in my piggies in the blanket after they are baked. Yum.

    PS - Aidan I love your blog. It's as if you aren't quite so far away anymore!

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  8. Blandina,
    i'm glad you liked it. bet you don't have them in florence either...

    Shelly,
    yes, the jelly is just like in vienna sausages. and i think they eat it. you can get slices of ham with it around the edges and pate with it..ugh.
    and there's no grape jelly here. which is weird cause they have grape juice and obviously, grown up grape juice of all kinds (wine) so why not jam? the kids call grape jelly 'texas jam'. there may be a post there...

    happy weekend everyone,
    a x

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  9. Aidan, I love reading your posts...I just began writing my own...your humor is terrific.
    My "pigs in a blanket" have always been breakfast sausage rolled up in pancakes with butter and maple syrup on top...yours are similar and sound just as yummy!
    I was an expat in Geneva, Switzerland with 2 daughters 12ys and 9yrs back in the 80's....loved it so much!

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