Tripe and Onions Recipe
- 1 quart milk
- 3 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
- A healthy pinch of mace
- 4¼ to 4½ pounds white honeycomb tripe (which comes from the second stomach, the reticulum, of the ox), cut into 1½ by 4½-inch strips
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- In a pot large enough to fit all the ingredients place the milk, onions, and mace. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Then add the tripe and season cautiously with salt and pepper (you can add more later). Bring up to a gentle boil, reduce again to a simmer, and cook for a further 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking the tripe’s giving qualities with a sharp knife. Be careful, as if cooked too long tripe will just melt away.
- Now, in another pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Cook this, stirring to avoid browning, until it smells biscuity. Continue stirring vigorously (a whisk might be useful here) and add a couple of ladles of the liquor from the tripe pot. Once thoroughly mixed and smooth, return this mixture to the tripe. Stir in thoroughly and simmer for a further 15 minutes to allow the dish to thicken slightly. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve hot, using a slotted spoon, with mashed potatoes.
