I've been thinking a lot lately about all the things that I miss from the UK foodwise. I lived there for over 20 years and I think its fair to say that their culture and food became firmly entrenched in my being.
I can remember being told before I moved over there that it rained all the time and that the food was awful. I thought to myself, what the heck am I letting myself in for!
Contrary to popular opinion it doesn't rain all the time, although it does rain a lot. The rain is a part of what makes this such a beautiful green and lush country. I soon learned that you don't melt in the rain and I came to embrace it. There is nothing you can't do in the rain with a good brolly and a pair of Wellingtons. There is naught so bracing as a walk in the countryside in a gentle rain, culminating in a pub trip at the end of the walk and a lovely Pub lunch.
Which brings me to the food. I think it is a fair statement to say that you can come across horrible food anywhere. I have to say my experience eating in the UK was, to be honest, simply wonderful. Admittedly they don't really do salads very well, those are always hit and miss, but living back here in Canada my heart yearns for the meats, cheese, dairy and fresh produce of the UK.
It really was some of the best in the world in my opinion. A fresh British strawberry during Strawberry season is a little taste of heaven. The UK is filled with wonderful producers of meats, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, poultry, etc. and most of them deliver all over the country, usually overnight.
I know it is a much smaller country, and that is a lot easier to do in a smaller country, but I find myself really missing good home food delivery, amongst other things.
There are some foods that the British do better than anyone else. Today I am sharing my top ten list of what they do really well. (Of course this is just my opinion and you are free to add your own in the comments below!)
SANDWICHES
Nobody does sandwiches better than the British. They invented them. They love their sandwiches and the country is filled with lovely sandwich shops selling some of the best sandwiches you could ever buy. Most Brits will happily chow down on a sandwich from one of these shops for their lunch and what Tea Party is complete without an assortment of finger sandwiches.
When I first got there I was astonished by the variety of sandwiches on offer. Cheese and Tomato, Cheese and Onion, Tuna and Sweet Corn, Tuna and Cucumber, Roast Beef,Rocket and Horseradish, etc. That is just tip of the ice berg.
One of my favorites was the cheese and pickle sandwich. Buttered white bread sandwiched together with a nice layer of Branston's Pickle and a good cheddar cheese. I love LOVE Cheese and Pickle sandwiches. Thankfully I can get Branston's here in Canada. Good British Cheddar too. So I am still well able to enjoy them.
Other favorites were Egg and Cress (egg mayonnaise with layer of mustard cress sprinkled over the egg filling), a Chip Buttie ( hot fresh chips (French fries) sandwiched between slices of buttered white bread.) I always loved having a slice of buttered bread with my fish and chips just for that purpose. A bit of salt some vinegar, a few hot chips and that buttered bread and I was in sandwich heaven.
TOAST
Nobody does toast better than the British. Always lovely and crisp. I used to love stopping in coffee shops and having a hot drink and a slice or two of hot toast. They have the nicest thick white bread called Toastie. It has to be about an inch thick.
I worked in a Care Home in the kitchen when I first moved over to the UK and all the staff would enjoy a hot slice of toast on their morning break time. It would pass through this toasting machine which would toast it slowly on both sides so that it came out lovely and crisp.
Toast in the cafe's always arrived at the table un-buttered with butter on the side ready for you to spread onto it yourself. This actually allowed the toast to cool down a bit so that it didn't become soggy once buttered. I think that is one of the secrets to good toast!
They eat a lot of toast and love to top their toast with a variety of things. Beans on Toast are a real favorite. Often, when you can't think of anything to make for supper, Beans on Toast makes a delicious and quick supper that most people enjoy. Cheese on Toast is another favorite.
The British actually love eating things on toast. You will often see them eating tomatoes on toast, mushrooms on toast and scrambled egg on toast. All make fabulous simple suppers for those nights when you can't be asked to cook.
MEAT PIES
The British love their pies and they do them really well. Of course there are cheap and nasty ones (aren't there everywhere!), but if you were willing to fork out a tiny bit more dosh you could always get a really beautiful meat pie. Steak and Mushroom, Steak and Kidney, Chicken and Mushroom, Lamb and Mint, even vegetable pies, etc. Beautiful pastries, ample rich fillings. All a delight served warm with mash and gravy.
Pork Pies were also a lovely British specialty. Made with hot water pastry, they were lovely served cold at picnics with a bit of pickle on the side.
I used to love ordering the pies from Piper's Farm. They had a lovely assortment. I never had one that I didn't enjoy. Thankfully I can make myself my own homemade pies. A favorite is this Steak and Potato Pie. I also make a really good Chicken and Mushroom Pie.
THE BRITISH TAKEAWAY
When referring to a British Takeaway you are not just referring to food that you take away to eat in the comfort of your own home, but an actual shop that specializes in this type of food. Every community/village has at least one or two of these and most people have their favorite establishment that they love to buy their takeaway from.
You cannot eat a meal in most Takeaways. You can only purchase food to bring away to eat elsewhere. Popular options include:
- Kebabs - Meat or chicken grilled and cut into slices and then folded into hot pita bread with salad, tomatoes and sauce.
- Sausage rolls and meat pies.
- Fried chicken.
- Burgers
- Fish and chips
- Chinese and Indian food
FISH AND CHIPS
This should come as no surprise. Nobody does Fish and Chips better than the British. Most people do not cook this at home. They will pick up a frozen version or they will get some at their local Chippie. It is a dish that most wouldn't make at home and really, when you can buy really good fish and chips ready made and hot, why would you want to.
I can remember the first Fish and Chips I had in the UK. Bought at the my local Parade of shops in Blacon, Chester. The piece of fish so large it was hanging off the sides of my plate. The chips thick and crisp. Both came sprinkled liberally with salt and malt vinegar and then wrapped in plain newsprint. So delicious.
Most Friday nights the line up at Fish and Chip shops will go out onto the street, filled with people waiting to pick up their Friday night supper and yes, a slice of buttered white bread goes very nicely as does mushy peas.
It is also impossible to go to the Seaside without treating yourself to fish and chips. They always, always have really good fish and chips there. Nothing tastes better, eaten on a bench on the boardwalk, looking out over the water with the smell of salt water and the sound of gulls in the air.
Failing that, I do have a lovely recipe for Homemade Beer Battered Fish and Chips, which is delicious.
SAUSAGES
Oh how I miss the great British Sausage. They make the best sausages in the world and almost every area in the UK has a sausage that they are well known for. I was never enamored with sausage prior to moving to the UK. I just didn't find them very exciting, but I fell in love with the British Sausage, also lovingly called Bangers. Of course there are cheap and nasty ones, but nothing is more delicious than a quality British Banger in my opinion. Plump and meaty and full of flavor.
My favorites are Cumberland and I do love a good Pork and Apple sausage. My sister and I have made our own from scratch back here in Canada and they were really good. There is a shop around the corner from me that sells the casings, etc. and I have a sausage making attachment for my Kitchen aid. I did post a great Tutorial here on how to make your own.
Classic Bangers and Mash is a favorite British Supper as is Toad in the Hole, which is sausages baked in a Yorkshire Pudding batter and served with gravy and mash. Sometimes I wrap the sausages in bacon before making that dish.
Bacon is something else they do really well and it comes in two types, smoked and unsmoked. You can get it with the rind still on, or the rind removed. Streaky (which is like North American Bacon, but meatier) and Back, which is lovely whole medallions. Or you can get middle bacon with is like the one in the photograph above which has a piece of the back with some streaky still attached. Dry or wet cured.
See, no end to the options. I preferred Dry cured myself.
Perfect for a Bacon Sandwich, stuck between two slices of white bread and slathered with brown sauce. I worked at a service station for a time and we sold bacon and sausage baguettes, and bacon & sausage baguettes. The lineup used to be out the door every morning of working class men wanting their morning Butty and hot coffee. Never underestimate the deliciousness of a good Bacon Sandwich.
THE FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST
I fell in love with what is lovingly referred to as The Full English. Every decent B&B in the UK has on offer one of these lovely breakfasts. When I first moved to the UK, on Saturday mornings we would treat ourselves to a Full English in town at the BHS store. You paid by the item. Baked beans, grilled tomatoes, bacon, sausage, grilled mushrooms, black pudding, hash browns, fried bread.
Only the heartiest eater could manage to eat all of that. I usually just had bacon, sausage, egg, beans, mushrooms and tomatoes. Sometimes I would treat myself to a slice of fried bread. You can get my take on the Traditional English Fry Up here. Bring your appetite! I also have a recipe for Fried Bread here. So good.
Afternoon Tea - a selection of finger foods like cake, scones, tarts, and other treats that is usually served more casually than a High Tea. Included may be small crustless finger sandwiches. The traditional British Afternoon Tea was generally served in drawing rooms, and enjoyed while seated on couches or chairs rather than at a table. This is the type of tea that you would have seen the Grantham family enjoying on Downton Abbey. Basically it is the equivalent of an afternoon snack, and was taken mid to late afternoon at a time when families used to eat their main meal much later in the day. It is this kind of tea that is what most people think of when they hear the words "tea party,' and normally includes china cups and saucers.
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In the end I decided to throw together a quick tea party and make some tasty Coronation Chicken Salad Tarts to serve. I quite like taking afternoon tea and I have had lots of experience at putting them together as I did many, many of them when I was living in the UK.
I am somewhat limited now as I just don't have the dishes and linens to use, but I thought it would be fun to show you just how quickly you can throw together a simple afternoon tea with minimal effort. Are you in? I hope so!
Then I added a small plate of some other sweet meats I happened to have in the house. An assortment of chocolate covered cookies/biscuits and some small tarts, jam, lemon curd and butter. None of the tarts was any larger than a mouthful, which is what you want.
Some other things you could have are small bite sized sausage rolls, or deviled eggs. You can have more than one kind of finger sandwich if you wanted to. Some suggestions are egg salad and cress, sliced tomato and cheese, and cheese and pickle.
- 3/4 pound (340g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup (165g) mayonnaise
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS honey
- 1 TBS good quality mango chutney
- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp mild curry powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- The rounded cheek of 1/2 red apple, cut into 1//4 inch dice (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS raisins, chopped
- 2 TBS chopped salted cashew nuts
- 2 TBS red onion, finely chopped
- 12 baked small tart shells (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
Some other Royal teatime treats that you might enjoy are:
VICTORIA SCONES - From the Bero Cookbook, these lovely scones have a beautiful texture and go together quickly. Said to be a favorite of Queen Victoria's, these scones are decorated with sweet candied cherries.
QUEEN CAKES - These little currant studded buttery cakes go beautifully with tea. They can be baked in heart shaped tins or in muffin tins. Flavored with lemon zest, these are lovely little cakes that everyone enjoys!
QUEEN OF HEARTS JAM TARTS - These little jam tarts with their pastry heart adornment are absolutely gorgeous. I am not surprised the Knave of Hearts wanted to steal them! They are delicious!
Coronation Chicken Salad Tarts
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound (340g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 cup (165g) mayonnaise
- 1 TBS apple cider vinegar
- 1 TBS honey
- 1 TBS good quality mango chutney
- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp mild curry powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
- The rounded cheek of 1/2 red apple, cut into 1//4 inch dice (about 1/4 cup)
- 2 TBS raisins, chopped
- 2 TBS chopped salted cashew nuts
- 2 TBS red onion, finely chopped
- 12 baked small tart shells (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)
Instructions
- To poach your chicken, place the chicken into a saucepan along with the stock, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cook at a low simmer until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside (about 10 to 15 minutes.) Remove the pan from the heat and leave the chicken to cool completely in the broth.
- Remove the chicken from the broth and chop finely. Place into a bowl.
- Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth, adjusting seasoning as required.
- Fold the dressing into the chicken along with the apple, raisins, nuts and onion. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required.
- Cover and chill for an hour, or as long as overnight.
- To serve spoon the chicken salad into the baked tart shells and serve immediately.
Whisk flour, dry milk powder, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Cut shortening into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, about 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture resembles cornmeal. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
- 1 cup (130g) buttermilk baking mix
- 3 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water
VARIATIONS:
Nut or Date Muffins: Add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or dated to the batter before putting in the pans.
Corn Muffins: Melt 2 TBS butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup each buttermilk baking mix (65g), 1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal (80g), 2 TBS sugar, 1 large free range egg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Mix well, then beat 1/2 minute. Bake as directed above.
If you would like to make muffins completely from scratch, there is no shortage of delicious muffins here in The English Kitchen. Some you might enjoy are:
FOUR PERFECT BLUEBERRY MUFFINS: This recipe makes only four of the most perfect, deliciously delectable blueberry muffins. With a lovely tender and moist crumb and plenty of blueberries, these always go down a real treat and I love that there are not tons of muffins to use up at the end of the day.
ULTIMATE BUTTERMILK BRAN MUFFINS: Of all the muffins that I bake Bran Muffins are my favorites, being filled with fiber and somewhat healthy. This particularly nice version uses buttermilk which makes for a really lovely and moist muffin with a slightly tangy flavor. With two types of bran they are light and delicious!
Easy Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup (130g) buttermilk baking mix
- 3 TBS granulated sugar
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Butter a six cup medium sized muffin tin/pan really well. Set aside.
- Measure the baking mix, sugar, egg and water into a bowl. Beat vigorously with a spoon for 1/2 minute. Divide between the muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and risen. A toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.
Notes
VARIATIONS:
Nut or Date Muffins: Add 1/4 cup of chopped nuts or dated to the batter before putting in the pans.
Corn Muffins: Melt 2 TBS butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 1/2 cup each buttermilk baking mix (65g), 1/2 cup white or yellow cornmeal (80g), 2 TBS sugar, 1 large free range egg, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/3 cup (80ml) water. Mix well, then beat 1/2 minute. Bake as directed above.
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