Jigg's Dinner (Newfoundland)

This famous Newfoundland dish features boiled potatoes, turnips, carrots, peas and cabbage together with salted beef and roasted turkey or pork. Most would even recommend tacking on a side of pickled beets, stuffing and buns. Talk about a comforting Canadian feast. Most Newfoundlanders would recommend serving with pickled beets, stuffing, gravy and buns.

1½ lbs corned beef (680 g)
½ cup dried yellow split peas (125 mL)
1 small cabbage, cut into 6 wedges (~ 450 g)
1 small yellow onion, peeled and left whole (~ 120 g)
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 6 wedges (~ 150 g)
3 large carrots, peeled and cut in half lengthwise (~ 210 g)
3 medium potatoes, peeled (~ 360 g)
3 large parsnips, peeled (~ 210 g)
1 Tbsp. butter (15 mL)
⅛ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

To Serve:
homemade mustard pickles
pickled Northern beets
grainy mustard
buns with gravy

Soak the salt beef in cold water for 8-10 hours (or overnight), then drain.

Put the split peas in a cloth pudding bag or tied in a few layers of cheesecloth, leaving room for expansion (called a Pease Pudding).

Place the soaked beef in a large pot and add the bag with the peas, fastening the bag to the handle of the pot. Cover with water, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for 2 hours.

After the beef and peas have simmered, add the cabbage and onion and let cook for 20 minutes. Add the turnip and carrots and simmer for 20 minutes more. Add the potatoes and parsnips and cook until tender.

Remove the split pea bag from the pot and turn the peas out into a small bowl. Mix with the butter and black pepper and cover with foil until it's time to eat. Remove the salt beef and vegetables (excluding the onion) from the pot.

Reduce the cooking liquid over high heat for 15 minutes, or until it has become a flavourful jus.

While the cooking liquid is reducing, slice the beef and arrange neatly with the vegetables on a platter. When ready to eat, serve the peas in a side dish and pour the reduced cooking liquid over the dinner like a pan jus.

Serve with homemade mustard pickles, pickled beets, and/or some grainy mustard.

Makes 4-6 servings.