Some Classic Comfort Foods Of UK

[Aunt Bea]

Will somebody please tell me how to make that Scotch Egg like in the picture? The only ones I've seen are with a hard boiled egg in the middle. The one in the picture has me drooling with that luscious runny yolk.

Speaking of the Lake District, it's one of the most beautiful places in the world and I'll remember it always. We stayed in a lovely little cottage there and visited Beatrix Potter's house, something I had dreamed of since childhood. I highly recommend renting the movie "Miss Potter" ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUjUv11pbyk

Too fussy for me!

How to Cook Like Heston - Articles - Scotch Eggs Recipe - Channel 4

 

[creative]

Aunt Bea - at a guess, I would say it just entailed soft boiling rather than hard boiling the egg....but maybe for a minute or so under the usual timing (to allow further cooking once deep fried).

 

[Kayelle]

Too fussy for me!

How to Cook Like Heston - Articles - Scotch Eggs Recipe - Channel 4

Thanks for that AB. Sheesh, the thought of try to shell a soft boiled egg boggles the mind. On his video even he screwed up the first one. The concept is so cool though, kinda like a Baked Alaska, only harder.

 

[Mad Cook]

Here are some comfort foods that we relished in our circle trip through England back in 1997: We stayed almost exclusively at B & B's and the English breakfasts were beyond compare. Broiled tomatoes, lime marmalade, thick cut bacon, and I loved the potent English breakfast tea.

Some my favorites:

Bangers and mash - We tried this at Stratford-Upon-Avon. Heavenly!

Bubble and squeak - A great breakfast treat made with leftover potatoes, cabbage, pork/bacon, and any other left-over veggies. Fried up fairly flat in a pan with the texture of compacted hash browns.

Colcannon - A simple but delicious Irish dish made with potatoes, (what else?) cabbage, onions, and lots of butter. The Brits, Scots, and Irish know what to do with these simple ingredients.

Traditional fish and chips made with cod and thick-cut potatoes and lots of malt vinegar.

Creamed English peas and potatoes.

English Trifle - One of the world's truly greatest desserts!

English candy - Can I get an 'amen' on some of the popular candies that can be found at any of the rest stops on the motor-ways?

Finally, anyone who says England doesn't have a fine cuisine needs to get his/her head examined. English food hit my sweet spot about as perfectly as anything I have ever eaten anywhere.

Thank you.

I think our reputation for poor food came from the very stringent WWII rationing which continued for nearly 10 years on some foodstuffs. The last thing to come "off the ration" was chocolate in 1954. Oddly enough, the population was said to have been healthier then than at any time since rationing ended!

 

[GotGarlic]

Thank you.

I think our reputation for poor food came from the very stringent WWII rationing which continued for nearly 10 years on some foodstuffs. The last thing to come "off the ration" was chocolate in 1954. Oddly enough, the population was said to have been healthier then than at any time since rationing ended!

In my case, it came from personal experience during a trip there in 1981.

 

[Addie]

Hubby #1 and I had an agreement. Whichever one was in the kitchen, the other one kept their mouth shut and ate was put on the table. As a young bride and only knowing the dishes my mother taught me, he would go into the kitchen to cook some of the foods of his homeland. I would sit there and watch. Occasionally I would ask a question and he would explain. Then I would try to get up the courage to make one of the dishes. Bubble and Squeek was my only great success. But I did learn a lot from him. Being married to a professional chef had it challenges in the kitchen.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

creative you don't have to be British to enjoy many of those foods. We're lucky enough to have an Irish pub about 15 miles from us that serves many of those foods in a most tasty manner. In fact, I enjoy many of the variations of mash (Colcannon, Boxty) with bangers. Just wish I knew where to source bangers to cook at home. This pub also has Scotch eggs. One of these days I want to make them at home.

MC my Mom used to make kidney stew several times a winter when I was a kid. Loved it! Then I found out what exactly a kidney was. Urp. Just the idea of organ meat... Not to single out British fare, I had the same reaction when I found out that my much loved Polish soup czarnina was not, as my dear Great Aunt would tell me, made from solid chocolates but was instead duck's blood soup. Nanna NEVER got another Hershey bar from my stash again.

Bubble and Squeak has graced out plates here at home. We ran across it on our first visit to Williamsburg VA and bought the cookbook from there so I could duplicate many of the foods. That book has served me well for over 35 years.

 

[creative]

creative you don't have to be British to enjoy many of those foods. We're lucky enough to have an Irish pub about 15 miles from us that serves many of those foods in a most tasty manner. In fact, I enjoy many of the variations of mash (Colcannon, Boxty) with bangers. Just wish I knew where to source bangers to cook at home. This pub also has Scotch eggs. One of these days I want to make them at home.

Indeed! Nowhere did I imply you had to be British to enjoy these foods...that would be ridiculous. If you go to my OP you will see the reason I started this thread.

 

[Mad Cook]

No. But he took my youngest daughter when she was in the fifth grade. I would sell the blood of my firstborn to see the country side and villages of the UK.

If you ever win the lottery you're welcome to come and stay with me and let me show you round the country.

 

[Aunt Bea]

creative you don't have to be British to enjoy many of those foods. We're lucky enough to have an Irish pub about 15 miles from us that serves many of those foods in a most tasty manner. In fact, I enjoy many of the variations of mash (Colcannon, Boxty) with bangers. Just wish I knew where to source bangers to cook at home. This pub also has Scotch eggs. One of these days I want to make them at home.

MC my Mom used to make kidney stew several times a winter when I was a kid. Loved it! Then I found out what exactly a kidney was. Urp. Just the idea of organ meat... Not to single out British fare, I had the same reaction when I found out that my much loved Polish soup czarnina was not, as my dear Great Aunt would tell me, made from solid chocolates but was instead duck's blood soup. Nanna NEVER got another Hershey bar from my stash again.

Bubble and Squeak has graced out plates here at home. We ran across it on our first visit to Williamsburg VA and bought the cookbook from there so I could duplicate many of the foods. That book has served me well for over 35 years.

CG here is a recipe for bangers and a mail order source that says it is also available at COSTCO of all places, not sure about that one.

I think you could use crushed saltine crackers in place of rusks and focus more on the combination of spices. I'm going to cut this recipe down and try it with a pound of plain ground pork from the local butcher shop.

Homemade British Bangers and the Search for Rusk | The Paupered Chef

RJ Balson and Son -- Buy Quality British Bangers & Bacon from RJ Balson & Son, England's Oldest Family Butchers

 

[Mad Cook]

Ooops - sorry for that then. It must a popular misconception then, since I have never heard it referred to as Bakewell Pudding!

I wouldn't mind having the original recipe. (What I know of this e.g. frangipane etc ranks as one of my fav desserts).

Here's the recipe.

(I buy the pastry - life's to short to make puff pastry and the "famous" chefs use bought pastry too. I use the Jusroll? butter puff pastry)

Bakewell Pudding

Ingredients
Puff pastry to line a quiche tin (more traditionally and "Bakewell- style" an oval-ish oblong enamel dish)

Raspberry jam. (I use home made if I've got it or "Bonne Maman" but I expect most Bakewellians use bog standard supermarket's jam )

4 ounces butter
6 ounces caster sugar
4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg beaten together (I use large ones)
2 ounces ground almonds

Method
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time. Stir in the almonds (and extract if using - see below). The mix will be quite runny

Line the tin with the pastry and prod the base with a fork to stop it rising through the filling.

Spread the base of the pastry with the jam and pour the filling on top.

Bake in pre-heated oven to gas mark 5 (180deg C) for 30-35 minutes until golden. (Adjust the temp and timing if yours is a fan oven). The filling should still be wobbley and not too dark.

Allow to cool and eat at room temperature (best) or warm (but not too hot.) Some people serve it with cream or custard but I find these a bit too much with the rich filling.

(If you feel you need a touch more almond flavour next time use a drop of almond extract (NOT artificial essence) but the almond flavour should be there but shouldn't be too dominant. Also you can adjust the amount of ground almonds if the mixture is too runny

 

[Mad Cook]

Here's the recipe.

(I buy the pastry - life's to short to make puff pastry and the "famous" chefs use bought pastry too. I use the Jusroll? butter puff pastry)

Bakewell Pudding

Ingredients
Puff pastry to line a quiche tin (more traditionally and "Bakewell- style" an oval-ish oblong enamel dish)

Raspberry jam. (I use home made if I've got it or "Bonne Maman" but I expect most Bakewellians use bog standard supermarket's jam )

4 ounces butter
6 ounces caster sugar
4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg beaten together (I use large ones)
2 ounces ground almonds

Method
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs a little at a time. Stir in the almonds (and extract if using - see below). The mix will be quite runny

Line the tin with the pastry and prod the base with a fork to stop it rising through the filling.

Spread the base of the pastry with the jam and pour the filling on top.

Bake in pre-heated oven to gas mark 5 (180deg C) for 30-35 minutes until golden. (Adjust the temp and timing if yours is a fan oven). The filling should still be wobbley and not too dark.

Allow to cool and eat at room temperature (best) or warm (but not too hot.) Some people serve it with cream or custard but I find these a bit too much with the rich filling.

(If you feel you need a touch more almond flavour next time use a drop of almond extract (NOT artificial essence) but the almond flavour should be there but shouldn't be too dominant. Also you can adjust the amount of ground almonds if the mixture is too runny

IMO the Bakewell puddings at Bloomers bakery are far superior to those at the ones at the "Original Bakewell Pudding Shop" (and actually more original).
Bloomers of Bakewell - The Original Bakewell Pudding

Bakewell is a great day out. Monday is market day so parking can be horrendous. Nice stroll by the river, lots of little shops, Not in a position to recommend a pub for lunch as I haven't been in one lately and things change so quickly in the pub trade. Close to Chatsworth House (supposed to be the house Jane Austen based Pemberley on in "Pride and Prejudice".) and Haddon Hall (both open to the public). The farm shop at Chatsworth is very good. There is a shopping outlet place a Rowsley (on the road to Matlock). Perhaps you'll need a weekend to fit all that in!



Bakewell is a great day out. Monday is market day so parking can be horrendous. Nice stroll by the river, lots of little shops, I'm not in a position to recommend a pub for lunch as I haven't been in one lately and things change so quickly in the pub trade. Close to Chatsworth House (supposed to be the house Jane Austen based Pemberley on in "Pride and Prejudice".) and Haddon Hall (both open to the public). he farm shop at Chatsworth is very good. There is a shopping outlet place a Rowsley (on the road to Matlock). Perhaps you'll need a weekend to fit all that in!

 

[creative]

Thanks Mad Cow. I like that it has flaky pastry base and lots of egg yolks. I don't have a very sweet tooth so I would bring the sugar down to the same quantity as the butter (I often use honey since I dislike white sugar). Yes I know about the difference between essence and extract. I used to get it from health shops but I see now that supermarkets are wise to the difference and stock them now too.

I see you have given a link...what is that served with the pudding? Custard?

 

[Mad Cook]

I have always found proper English bangers too fluffy in texture. If using real sausage instead it is a great (and simple) dish.


Cod. Some places has tried to get too fancy with it. And serve it in newsprint.



I used to be sure to get a bag of wine gums for the flight home. I have never seen them here and they seem to taste best at flight level 350.



I particularly loved the Sunday roasts in the country. Big hunk of roasted meet and some root vegetables served with peas.

I do miss making trips to Jolly Ol'.

Sadly, there are bangers and PROPER bangers. At the cheapest end of the market they have a minimum of 65% meat, some or all of which can be "recovered" meat (don't ask!) and a lot of rusk as filler and basic seasoning. Pasty, cheap and yuck!

A good British sausage will have 80-85% or more good meat such as pork shoulder and seasonings which might include herbs and spices. There is still some rusk to help hold the sausage together. The meat is often ground quite coarsely and in speciality sausages may include venison or wild boar or even lamb and mint. Yum. Obviously they are at the dearer end of the market. Around the area I live in there is also "tomato" sausage. This is made with beef, pork and tomato - more of a curiosity in my mind but lots of people like them.

Incidentally, the name "banger" originated in WWI when meat was scarce and a lot of water was added to the mix and when they were frying they burst with a loud bang! I didn't know that until a couple of months ago. Never too old to learn something new.

This is all making me crave sausages for lunch. I like my bangers and mash with onion gravy.

Glad you enjoyed British food. Lots of visitors from abroad are surprised at how good it is when done well. I met an American lady in Petra (name dropping here) who said she'd enjoyed England but thought the food was dreadful. "Oh dear. Where did you eat?" said I. "Oh, we'd heard the food was bad so we ate in McDonalds and KFC". I was sorely tempted to say "Serves you right"! ( McD & KFC are truly dreadful over here.)

 

[Mad Cook]

Will somebody please tell me how to make that Scotch Egg like in the picture? The only ones I've seen are with a hard boiled egg in the middle. The one in the picture has me drooling with that luscious runny yolk.

I couldn't spot them in the clip you attached. I'd only ever come across scotch eggs made with hard boiled eggs until I saw Heston Blumenthal trying to make them with soft yolks on television a while back. They are basically picnic food and popular for shooting parties in the Downton era - you wouldn't want egg yolk running down your tweed shooting jacket and plus fours.

They originated in India apparently, although they are considered quintessentially British. You can but some cheap and nasty ones over here but the best are made with really good sausage meat

 

[Mad Cook]

Thanks Mad Cow. I like that it has flaky pastry base and lots of egg yolks. I don't have a very sweet tooth so I would bring the sugar down to the same quantity as the butter (I often use honey since I dislike white sugar). Yes I know about the difference between essence and extract. I used to get it from health shops but I see now that supermarkets are wise to the difference and stock them now too.

I see you have given a link...what is that served with the pudding? Custard?

Either custard or cream. A matter of choice I think.

 

[menumaker]

Lorraine Pascal does a baked scotch egg recipe ( google her )which is pretty good if you don't, 1. have a deep fat frier like me or 2. prefer this 'healthier option

 

[Mrs JJJ]

So many of these comfort favourites remind me of school! I'm from Kent and almost everyone's hands-down favourite school dessert was an incredibly sweet and rare treat called Gypsy Tart. Maybe others also remember it..... For a long time, the recipe was something of a mystery and almost no one apart from school dinner ladies seemed to know how to make it. Now, of course, there are versions of the recipe online, including one by Nigella Lawson, from which I have just learned that gypsy tart apparently originated on Kent's Isle of Sheppey.

Last time I went home, I discovered a tiny bakery in Dymchurch, which sold a gypsy tart that actually tasted just like the original, authentic school-dinner version. Fatal for the figure but totally delicious! If you're ever in Dymchurch, I would recommend it. You'll have to go there early, though, because in my experience, by lunch-time they will have sold out!

 

[Aunt Bea]

So many of these comfort favourites remind me of school! I'm from Kent and almost everyone's hands-down favourite school dessert was an incredibly sweet and rare treat called Gypsy Tart. Maybe others also remember it..... For a long time, the recipe was something of a mystery and almost no one apart from school dinner ladies seemed to know how to make it. Now, of course, there are versions of the recipe online, including one by Nigella Lawson, from which I have just learned that gypsy tart apparently originated on Kent's Isle of Sheppey.

Last time I went home, I discovered a tiny bakery in Dymchurch, which sold a gypsy tart that actually tasted just like the original, authentic school-dinner version. Fatal for the figure but totally delicious! If you're ever in Dymchurch, I would recommend it. You'll have to go there early, though, because in my experience, by lunch-time they will have sold out!

Thanks, this sounds like a quick easy recipe from pantry staples.

I think I would need a dollop of whipped cream on mine!

 

[Addie]

I don't use much tinned soup but I always keep a can of Heinz Cream of Tomato soup in for moments of crisis. There's nothing like a mug of it when you're feeling rattled and stressed - Chicken soup for the gentiles.

You should really have a grilled cheese sandwich with that mug of tomato soup. In my part of the world, it is almost sinful to just have one and not the other.