Will you be celebrating Collop Monday?

We all know about Shrove Tuesday - Pancake Day - but there's another food tradition the day before.

As this extract from The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Volume 13 (1838) shows, Collop Monday was the day before Shrove Tuesday, when you used up the last of the meat in the house. Pigs were killed a few weeks before Lent, and the housewife set about curing and salting them so the family had something to eat when the fast ended. Of course when a pig is killed there are a lot of off-cuts, leftovers, and quick perishable bits like offal that need eating up quickly.

Pig fry

The text goes on to give us a specific recipe for Collop Monday called pig fry. This sounds delicious, a sort of crackling and bacon, with potatoes, and even a pancake or two. I like the idea of giving the servants a ‘drop of something good’, and letting them spend the afternoon (not the morning mind) in conviviality.

Our best bacon recipes

Although none of us observe Lent the old-fashioned way here at lovefood HQ, we're not going to let that stop us reaching for an excuse to eat something delicious. Just as you can appreciate architecture and music of all faiths, so it is with food and festivals. So we’ve taken the idea of Collop Monday as inspiration for some of our best bacon and leftovers recipes. 

Brian Turner’s crispy bacon with mushroom pancakes

Brian has developed this recipe using pepper sauce to draw out the flavours of the mushrooms and give them a gentle kick. It also comes with plenty (15 rashers!) of bacon - feel free to reduce the amount but, remember, we're using it up! 

Arthur Potts Dawson's ham and apple pie

A good way to make the most of leftover ham, and everyone loves a pie. The apples add some tartness. Of course if you've anything else lying about in the fridge or freeze it could be put in too; a handful of peas perhaps, or some leftover chicken?

Bacon, bubble and cheese butty

The butty is a catch-all term that can play host to a number of flavours. Here Helen Graves uses bubble and squeak. You can make the 'bubble' from scratch, but it's even better made the day before as part of a roast dinner. Read Helen's piece about the humble butty here.

Valentine Warner's peas and broad beans

A quick and simple dish using seasonal greens, peas and broad beans. This is Val's take on the classic Petits Pois a la Francaise. Add the lettuce at the last minute so it just wilts.

Andrew Nutter’s bacon tart

Here's something a bit special, a lovely little tart that uses Welsh Rarebit as its topping. Make this if you want something showy.

Bacon, cheese and onion gratin for under £3

Finally, if you're watching the pennies, then this dish will feed a family of four easily. Serve some bread with it to mop up the oniony juicies. This recipe was part of a series of recipes, all of which could be made for around £3.

Are you planning on giving anything up for Lent? Let us know in the Comments below.

This is a classic lovefood article

What's the best bit of a pig?

What to do with leftover herbs

Pancake recipes