Growing up in rural Newfoundland and Labrador, one of the fondest memories of food as a child was going to my Grandmother’s house for her “dough boys” as part of the traditional Jiggs’ Dinner. Those balls of dough always seemed to puff up perfectly in the pot and tasted delicious with a heaping portion of Crosbie’s Fancy Molasses. I had the pleasure of chatting with her about these memories yesterday!
My grandmother has always been the green thumb in the family, and we are trying to learn her savvy gardening skills. I planted some turnip seeds this Spring and recently was able to get some fresh greens. This prompted the desire to make a Jiggs’ Dinner.
For those of you who don’t know, Jiggs’ Dinner – also known as a “boiled” dinner and is similar to Sunday dinner but served with dough boys and without meat beyond salt beef. This traditional meal consists of salt beef, turnip, cabbage or greens, potato, carrot, peas pudding and dough boys for me growing up. A Sunday dinner would also have dressings, puddings and another form of meat or poultry.
It’s a delicious concoction of boiled vegetables, salted meat, split peas and dough balls all in one pot.
The Newfoundland and Labrador palate has many unique dishes that connect us culturally to the land and the past. When you visit Rural NL, try the treat that is Jiggs’ Dinner.
Live Rural NL –
Christopher Mitchelmore
