Pig in Blanket

The pig in blanket is a small sausage or cocktail frankfurter wrapped in bacon and typically baked or grilled until the bacon is crisp. The dish is widely associated with British and Irish holiday feasts, particularly Christmas dinner, where it is served as a side alongside roast turkey, stuffing, and roast potatoes. The origin of the name is a playful reference to the sausage being "tucked in" by its bacon blanket, and the dish has become a staple of festive buffets and party platters across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Key ingredients are simple: a small pork sausage—often a chipolata—and streaky bacon. A great version is distinguished by the quality of the sausage, which should be well-seasoned and juicy, and the bacon, which must be cooked until rendered and crispy without becoming burnt. The bacon should wrap the sausage snugly, often secured with a toothpick, and the finished pig in blanket should offer a contrast of salty, smoky bacon against the savory, tender sausage.

Regional variations include the use of honey or maple syrup glaze for sweetness, or the addition of herbs like sage or thyme. In the United States, a similar dish called "pigs in a blanket" uses a sausage wrapped in pancake or biscuit dough, but the British version remains bacon-wrapped. Jarvis Pickle in Eyemouth, United Kingdom, is noted for serving a well-regarded version, as highlighted by the food guide *Where The Foodies Go*.