There will also be gravy and an assortment of cooked vegetables on the side and any number of condiments such as Horseradish Sauce, hot English Mustard or Apple Sauce. Popular vegetables are cabbage, brussels sprouts, carrots, swede (rutabaga) and peas!
Number Two would have to be FISH AND CHIPS. This delicious dish has been a popular meal with the British since the 19th century. Known as a street food, even small Hamlets can boast of having their own fish and chips shop and it would not be a trip to the seaside without enjoying a feast of fish and chips, wrapped in white paper as you sit on a bench watching the waves and beating off the sea gulls. (They love fish and chips as well.)
The fish, which usually Cod, Haddock or Plaice is dipped in a delicious batter and deep fried. Chips are almost always hand cut and twice fried. You will always be asked if you want salt and vinegar on them and they will lavish them with salt and malt vinegar if the answer is yes. This is the ultimate finger food! When enjoyed in a sit down restaurant you will often have them served with some mushy peas and or coleslaw.
Simple, yes, but proof positive that sometimes simple can be very, very good. You can use oven chips if you wish, but once in a while it doesn't hurt to have a real chip. (In the UK French fries are called Chips.)
Number Four, CLASSIC SHEPHERD'S PIE - The UK is famous for all of their pies, steak and kidney, chicken and mushroom, pork pies, etc. but one of the absolute most comforting of pies is this classic. And its not really even a pie!
This is the perfect family meal and is very easy to make with a rich ground lamb and gravy filling topped with vegetables and a layer of fluffy mashed potatoes. You can top the potatoes with grated cheese if you wish. It is cousin to the also very popular COTTAGE PIE which is made with ground beef.
Both are equally popular and incredibly satisfying. You can also use leftover cooked beef or lamb in the fillings, which is how they were originally planned to be used, as a vehicle for the leftovers from Sunday dinner.
BUBBLE AND SQUEAK is another bonus meal created from the leftovers of Sunday lunch! Traditionally it is a hash made with leftover gravy, potatoes, cabbage, and onions, as well as brussels sprouts during sprout season, but really . . .
You can use whatever combination of cooked vegetables you have to hand . . . carrots, peas, parsnips, beans, swede . . . it doesn't really matter . . .
The name comes from the way it bubbles and squeaks in the pan as it is cooking.
Number six - BANGERS AND MASH - This is so popular that even songs have been written about it. Banger is a term lovingly used to describe sausages and is a term which began during World War ll. This was attributed to the sound that sausages might make when cooked under high heat, a pop and a sizzle.
You will find this tasty dish on offer at most pubs and restaurants in the country. What you get here is a delicious snappy skinned thick pork sausage grilled to perfection and served with a fluffy pile of mashed potatoes and plenty of onion gravy!
Number Seven - TOAD IN THE HOLE - This tasty dish combines grilled sausages and Yorkshire pudding batter. The sausages are partially cooked in a dish and once the fat has been released a pudding batter is poured around them and they are baked until the batter is all puffed and golden brown and the sausages are cooked through,
This is a favorite of one and all and delicious served with Bisto gravy and fluffy mash. The origin of the name 'Toad-in-the-Hole' is quite vague. Most suggestions are that the dish's resemblance to a toad sticking its little head out of a hole provide the dish with its somewhat unusual name.
Number eight - CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA - The British love their curries and Chicken Tikka Masala is a real favorite. Chicken tikka masala is a dish of pan roasted chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured, from the tomatoes that are in the dish.
It was almost certainly invented in Britain and is among the country's most popular dishes, leading a government minister, Robin Cook, to claim in 2001 that it was a British national dish.
When I went to Culinary school in the UK Chicken Tikka Masala was one of the first dishes we were taught to make.
Number 9 - APPLE CRUMBLE - So popular you could almost call it the National dessert. Usually served warm with cold cream for pouring over top, or warm custard sauce.
When it comes to an apple dessert you can't get much better than an apple crumble. I like the ones with the Oats in the crumble most of all. You can find my recipe for the custard here. This custard is also awfully good served with stewed rhubarb, another British favorite!
Number ten - THE CREAM TEA - You will find "Cream Teas" on offer throughout the UK, but they are truly a speciality of the SouthWest . . . Devon and Cornwall areas. I have seen Welsh Cream Teas as well as Cream Teas being offered in many other areas of the UK. In general nowadays, they are offered in Tearooms EVERYWHERE across the UK wherever someone wants to give an impression of British influence.
Not to be confused with high tea which is more like a meal, Cream teas are meant as a light lunch or snack and usually consist of CLASSIC SCONES, served with jam and clotted cream (a true British delicacy) and hot pots of tea.
This is by no means a complete list, but only the tip of a very delicious iceberg. I came to love many different dishes when I lived in the UK. Every region has their own specialty and all of them are endearingly delicious. These are just a few of the things which wangled their way into my foodie heart!!
There is Sticky Toffee Pudding and Banoffee Pie for instance, but I had to draw the line somewhere. If you ever are lucky enough to travel in the UK these are some of the more traditional culinary delights which await you! Bon Appetit!
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
.JPG "Air Fryer Cinnamon Rolls")
Air Fryer Cinnamon Buns
Ingredients
- 1 can of refrigerated cinnamon rolls
- non stick canola cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 275*F/135*C.
- Spray an 8-inch round metal cake tin with some of the cooking spray. Open the can of cinnamon rolls, separate them, and place them into the tin with one in the middle and the other four at the outsides.
- Bake in the air fryer for 15 to 19 minutes. They should be golden brown and cooked in the center. If not, cook for a few minutes longer.
- Remove and cool for a few minutes.
- Warm the icing which comes with the rolls in the microwave on high for about 15 seconds. Drizzle over the cinnamon rolls
- Serve warm.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 TBS pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients together separately
To prevent the mix from being overworked, first mix the wet ingredients together in one bowl and mix the dry ingredients in another. Make a well in the dry ingredients, carefully pour in the wet ingredients, then stir the mix a couple of times to just roughly combine.
2. Don't over-mix the batter
The most important rule of muffin making is to not over stir the mix. Instead, what you really want is to just moisten the ingredients. Resist the temptation to stir or beat the batter until it is smooth and lump free. You want the final mix to be lumpy, thick and floury.
3. Don't overfill
Aim to fill the cups ¾ full to get muffins with nice round tops and to prevent them from spilling out over the top of the cups.
4. Add an extra sprinkle of flavor and crunch on top
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
5. Fill up your muffin pan
If there isn't enough batter to fill all your cups, half fill the empty ones with water. This will help the muffins to bake more evenly and will protect you from ruining and buckling your pan.
6. Cool them down
Once you remove the muffins from the oven, let them sit in their pan for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack. This is especially important for muffins that aren't in a paper liner, as it will help them to keep them from falling apart. However, remove them after five minutes otherwise they will end up with soggy bottoms. Not a good thing.
7. Freeze for later
Muffins freeze wonderfully, so if you can't enjoy them all on the day they're made, wrap them up tightly plastic wrap and pop them into the freezer for later. These reheat very easily by warming them up for about 30 seconds maximum from frozen in the microwave.
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
.JPG "Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins")
Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins (small batch)
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (175g) plain all purpose flour
- 1/2 TBS baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (135g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 large free range egg
- 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk, shaken
- 1/2 TBS pure vanilla
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Spray a six cup muffin pan really well with some canola cooking spray, or line with paper liners.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl, combining well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Whisk all of the wet ingredients together to combine well.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Fold both together just to combine, without overmixing.
- Divide between the buttered muffin cups.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375*F/190*C/ gas mark 5. Bake for a further 12 to 15 minutes, until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before tipping out onto a wire rack to cool. These are lovely enjoyed whilst still warm.
Notes
You can make your own buttermilk substitute in one of two ways:
- Add 1 TBS of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and fill to make your measure of buttermilk. Stir and leave to clabber for 5 minutes.
- Mix together equal parts of full fat yogurt and whole milk to make up your measure and leave to set for 5 minutes to clabber.
Social Icons