This is a fabulous little Penguin book by Jane Grigson called Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery. I absolutely adore it. I hadn’t picked it up for a while, and as I did, a few notes and scribbles for brine recipes fell out from when I last used it. 

This book is packed with essential and practical recipes—from sausages to terrines, pâté to black pudding. It’s concise but an enjoyable read, and her descriptions really draw you into the heart of French rustic cooking.

One of the fascinating sections is where she explores the various ways to make black pudding—some with apples or chestnuts, others creamy or made with onions or spinach. Grigson dives deep into the art of old French cookery, offering hearty, no-nonsense dishes. With many offal recipes, it’s a great way to see how to use the 'bits and bobs' that are often overlooked in modern cooking.

There’s a great recipe for making chitterlings, using up intestines and washing them down by the river, a true rustic experience. My personal favourite, though, is the Bath Chap—essentially the pig’s jaw, or jowl, which is slowly cooked and then fried in breadcrumbs until crispy. It’s a very old dish and utterly delicious. I love her casual note in the method: "When it's quite cold, cover with toasted breadcrumbs and cut the end of the snout off, as it upsets some people. Chill."

There are hundreds of ideas here to inspire you. I admire how Grigson encourages the economical housewife to buy a pig’s head for 3 or 4 shillings, and from that, you can create so many things—pig's ears with a piquant sauce, brains in puff pastry, Bath Chaps, sausage meat for pâté, and rillons (similar to rillettes). With 4 ½ pounds of boneless meat on the head, it’s extremely economical. You can even make a clear broth or aspic jelly from the bones.

If cooking is your thing, and you have a love for French charcuterie, this book is for you. And the best part? You can pick it up for next to nothing.