• 625 g/1 1/4 lb lean boned collar of bacon, soaked overnight in cold water

• 50 g/2 oz butter, plus extra for greasing

• 2 onions, roughly chopped

• 2 carrots, thinly sliced

• 50 g/2 oz plain flour

• 300 ml/1/2 pint Chicken Stock

• 1 1/2-2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• pepper

Suet pastry:

• 250 g/8 oz self-raising flour

• pinch of salt

• 125 g/4 /1/4 pint cold water

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Method:

1. Drain the bacon, trim the fat and cut the meat into 2.5 cm/1 inch pieces.

2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the bacon, onions and carrots and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Gradually pour in the stock and bring to the boil, stirring. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Add pepper to taste and stir in the parsley. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

4. Make the suet pastry. Sift the flour with the salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the suet, then add the water and mix to a soft dough. Knead gently on a lightly floured surface.

5. Cut off about a quarter of the dough and reserve for the lid. Roll out the remaining pastry to a circle 10 cm/4 inches larger than the top of a 1.2 liter/2 pint pudding basin.

6. Grease the basin liberally with butter. Lightly dust the rolled out pastry with flour, then fold loosely in half and then into quarters. Lift the pastry into the basin, pointed end down, unfold and press neatly around the base and sides.

7. Spoon the cooled bacon mixture into the pastry-lined basin. Dampen the pastry edge. Roll out the reserved pastry to a circle large enough to cover the top of the pudding. Place on top and seal the edges together firmly.

8. Cover with pleated greased greaseproof paper and pleated foil and tie securely with string. Place the pudding in a large saucepan and pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the basin.

9. Boil the pudding for 2 1/2-3 hours until cooked through, topping up with more boiling water as required. Serve hot.