Tripe and Onions

Tripe is an... interesting thing. You either love it or hate it, or are to scared to try it. Traditionally it is thrown into a pot of water with some onions and boiled for three hours. There really is no avoiding this step and purists are welcome to stop there and eat. But i like to take an extra step to add an interesting twist to flavour and texture.

Ingredients:

1 lb of tripe
A handful of plain flour mixed with 1/4 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
4 onions - peeled and thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic - peeled and crushed
1 tblspn chopped parsley
Zest and juice of one lemon
groundnut oil - for frying
salt and pepper

Method:

1. Place the tripe in a saucepan and cover with water, bring to the boil then simmer until tender - around 3 hours. If you really can't wait now is the time to eat it - otherwise strain then plunge into iced water. Strain again and lay out on kitchen paper to dry. This step can be done way in advance and chilled.

2. Add a knob of butter and a dribble of oil to a non stick pan and cook the onions and garlic until golden. Add the zest, juice and parsley, cook for a minute, remove to a bowl and wipe the pan clean.

3. Cut the tripe into strips then toss in the flour and shake off any excess.

4. Heat the pan and add a few tablespoons of oil. Add the tripe and fry until crisp. Strain off any excess oil, add the cooked onion mix, stir for a minute, season and eat.