Fried Bread for Borders is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic method of frying thin pieces of bread in clarified butter for use as a border to other dishes, particularly fish dishes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fried Bread for Borders.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
FRIED BREAD FOR BORDERS.
426. Proceed as above, by frying some slices of bread cut in any fanciful shape. When quite crisp, dip one side of the sippet into the beaten white of an egg mixed with a little flour, and place it on the edge of the dish. Continue in this manner till the border is completed, arranging the sippets a pale and a dark one alternately.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
15 thin slices of bread
6 tbsp clarified butter, lard or clarified dripping
1 egg white, beaten
Method:
Slice the bread very thinly then cut or stamp into any shapes you desire (you can use pastry cutters for this). Melt the fat in a large pan and when bubbling add the bread shapes. Fry until golden brown then flip over and fry on the other side.
Remove with a slotted spoon then drain on kitchen paper (this ensures the sippets are crisp). You can also fry some of a darker hue and some lighter so that you have variation in your garnish. When done, dip one side of the fried bread shape in the egg white then place it on the edge of the serving dish.
Repeat this process, until the entire border is filled in, alternating light and dark sippets as you add them.
