Parkin the Whisky

"This Black Ice is reminding me of my clubbing days; because walking on it is making me do the fancy footwork I used to on the dance floor" so spoke I to a wonderful colleague as the working week drew to a close. It was no joke out there though. That evening I had shuffled along the pavements precariously after trips to the local and the greengrocer while a Saturday morning walk with the Dogg saw me stay upright only with the help of my Grandfather's old walking stick.

The afternoon saw me having a long and fun telephone conversation with one of my closest friends. In some ways our lives have run in parallel; we were on the fringes at secondary school until we go the Sixth Form where we made good friends that we still have to this day. We are both left-handed, only children and were born within three weeks of each other; in some ways we have the same mind. The previous year we had, after numerous false starts, both found ourselves wonderful tag team partners.

After that it was time for a spot of cookery before the evening's activity. I settled on a recipe for Parkin- a comfort food that was a suitable tonic from the freezing rain and blanket of cloud that had hung over the estate that morning.

While I was preparing the Parkin I listened to Mercury Rev's 1998 effort "Deserter's Songs"- an album that the band were currently touring to promote the twentieth anniversary of its release. It was released at a time of turmoil in my professional life as my addiction to that classic computer game Fifa Road To World Cup '98 very nearly cost me a quality education.

The ethereal strings and cold but powerful arrangements on songs such as "Endlessly" and the romantic yet fatalistic "Goddess on the Hiway" made this excellent album well suited to the occasion.

The recipe for this dish, which is popular in many parts of Lancashire, is:

Ten Ounces of Oats.
Ten Ounces of Self- Raising Flour
Ten Ounces of Soft Brown Sugar
Two Heaped tablespoons of Ground Ginger.
A beaten Egg.
Eight Ounces of Golden Syrup.
A quarter of a pint of Whisky.
The juice of one Lime.
Eight Ounces of Unsalted Butter.

The method is as follows:

1. In a mixing bowl stir together the Oats, Self-Raising Flour, Brown Sugar and Ginger.

2. Add the Egg, Syrup, Whisky and Lime Juice. Mix in well until a thick paste is formed.

3. Add the Butter and stir into the other ingredients very thoroughly.

4. Pour into a high-sided baking tray that's completely wrapped in foil and greased.

5. Cook in the oven on the middle shelf on Gas Mark three for three and a half hours.

6. Remove from the baking tray but keep in the foil and leave to cool overnight.

The taste of this recipe was smokey with a hint of sweetness while the texture was crisp and crunchy without the food being burnt. Although I had to lose the edges of it I was able to eat the middle which was delicious. With the taste and texture of the Parkin it evoked childhood days long gone of sitting in front of my parents' TV on late Autumn weeknights eating Bonfire Toffee and watching Champions' League Football.

Fresh out of the oven- a Dark Parkin with plenty of smokey flavour. 

You want it darker- the delicious middle made a delicious afternoon snack.