A saveloy is a type of highly seasoned sausage, usually bright red, normally boiled and available in fish and chip shops around Britain. It is sometimes also available fried in batter.
Etymology The word is believed to be derived from Middle French or , originating from Old Italian ('pigs brains'), ultimately from the Latin ('brain'). Its first known use in the English language in this meaning was 1784. is still the name of a sausage in Italy; it is longer and thinner than standard Italian sausages.
Ingredients The saveloy was traditionally made from pig brains. The ingredients of a shop-bought sausage are typically pork (58%), water, rusk, pork fat, potato starch, salt, emulsifiers (tetrasodium diphosphate, disodium diphosphate), white pepper, spices, dried sage, preservatives (sodium nitrite, potassium nitrate), and beef collagen casing dyed with red food colouring.
The saveloy is mostly eaten with chips.
England and Wales
Popular in the northeast but uncommon in the northwest of England, saveloys are sometimes eaten in a "saveloy dip" sandwich: the bun is dipped in the water in which the saveloy has been boiled, or in gravy, with a layer of stuffing and pease pudding, seasoned with English mustard. Elsewhere in England, particularly London, and Wales, saveloy is most commonly served in fish and chip shops.
Australia and New Zealand The saveloy is eaten in Australia and New Zealand, often dipped in batter and deep fried, when it is known as a Dagwood Dog.
In 1913, the saveloy was described in an Australian court case as a "highly seasoned dry sausage originally made of brains, but now young pork, salted"."Saveloy Reticence" in The Examiner, Launceston, Tas, 14 March 1913 In 1951, it was commonly defined by its size as a sausage, as opposed to a frankfurter at ."Variety of Sausage for Home Menus" in The Courier Mail, Brisbane, QLD, 12 September 1951 This distinction may be due to frankfurters’ popularisation in Australia, as the main ingredient in hot dogs. Saveloys also tend to have more seasoning and are thicker."Hot Dog is Favourite American Sandwich" in the Centralian Advocate, 26 October 1951
In Australia, saveloys are usually a beef-pork blend. As in England, they are sold at fish-and-chip shops, and bought from supermarkets, to be simmered at home.
Saveloys are often the basis of the New Zealand battered-sausage-on-a-stick "hot dog", very similar to the US corn meal-battered variant of the corn dog sold at fairgrounds and shows. The Australian showground version is often called a "dagwood dog", when prepared on site. It should not be confused with the "pluto pup", equivalent to the US Pronto Pup, a mass-produced, pre-prepared product that is essentially the same, but which invariably uses frankfurters, rather than saveloys and can often be found at takeaway shops.
A cocktail sausage is a smaller version of the saveloy, about a quarter of the size, in Australia sometimes called a "baby sav", a "footy frank" or a "little boy", and in New Zealand and Queensland called a "cheerio". These are a popular children's party food in New Zealand and Australia, often served hot, with tomato sauce.
See also
Battered sausage List of sausages
References