Floddies and Fadges.

You may never have heard of floddies and fadges. I have a vague memory of ‘fadges’ from my grandmother in the north of England, and was reminded of them while researching my recent Wartime Potatoes post. It is time to explore them further.

The Oxford English Dictionary does not know the floddy, but of the fadge it reveals that it is a Scottish word referring to a large flat loaf or bannock, with written evidence from 1609 . As we will see, this is a rather narrow description

Of floddy, I find that it is a small Scottish island, and a Scottish surname, and that bacon floddies are traditional to Gateshead in County Durham. There needs to be more time to find out more.

From the British wartime Ministry of Food’s Food Facts leafet  no. 25 of January 1941:

“Fadge” for Breakfast

“Fadge” is both nourishing and filling.  It is excellent for breakfast.

Boil some well-scrubbed potatoes, then peel and mash them while hot. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, add salt, and work in enough flour to make a pliable dough. Knead lightly on a well-floured board for about 5 minutes, then roll into a large circle about ¼ inch thick. Cut into wedge-shaped pieces, and cook on hot girdle, an electric hot-plate or on the upper shelf of a quick oven until brown on both sides, turning once.

Potato Floddies.

These are real energy givers.

Scrub 2 potatoes and grate with a coarse grater over a bowl. Then add sufficient flour to form a batter. Season with salt and pepper. Melt a little dripping and make very hot in a frying pan. Drop the mixture into it. When brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Serve with a little jam if you want it as a sweet dish. If you want it as a savoury, add a pinch of mixed herbs and a dash of cayenne pepper.