These are traditionally a pub snack (most pubs sell them
by the packet along with crisps and peanuts), thought to have originated in the
West Midlands. They probably date back to times when many families kept their
own pigs as a source of food, and as they didn’t want to waste any part of the
animal they would fry and eat the offcuts of fat and skin. I’ve always found
that you never know what you’re going to get in a bag of Mr Porky’s – they’ll
either be too soft or hard enough to break your teeth, with not much in between.
Can one do home-made ones? Yes, one can. There are
various recipes online, and they don’t have to involve deep-frying. Thanks to
the Internet, we found a
Jamie Oliver one that couldn’t be more simple – all I needed to do was
score the fat, rub ground-up fennel seeds and salt into it, cut it up into chunks
and place on a roasting-tray in the oven.
After about an hour, we had our own home-made pork scratchings! More consistent than the pub ones. Alas, they were so tasty that they did not last long…
