In re-reading a certain story by a UK Author, I've been exploring authentic recipes of the isles. It was a pleasant surprise to actually discover what a Bacon Sarnie and Chips are. As near as I can tell the bacon used is simply Canadian Bacon between slices of bread. I used very non acid Mayonnaise (can't use anything tomato) and a few sliced pickles. Deep fried "fries" cause me intestinal ructions, so to find baked and seasoned, thickly sliced potatoes in an international store were a pleasant surprise.
I'm trying to work up the courage to do steak and kidney pie. If I yet live after that, it might be a bit of haggis?
From what I can discern, proper UK cooked style fish is not available, at all.
Comments
the bacon butty
the Bacon is back bacon as sold in Canada, not "Canadian bacon" the disks, normal bacon, just made from the same cut as chops (with a longer bit of side) instead of belly. streaky/us rashers are suitable
the best easy approximation for Brown Sauce in the US is Steak Sauce, having tried (euro-version) A1 it is adequate. with "no tomatoes" as a restriction, the core flavour profile otherwise is Worcestershire sauce (which is a perfectly legitimate (if far less popular) sauce for the butty on its own, dripped onto the rashers towards the end of cooking)
chips have to be thick cut (steak cut fries is, I think, the closest US term), oven baked are acceptable
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Steak and Kidney pie? or Pudding? (in this case "a Pudding" is a steamed suet pastry encasing the meat)
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true Haggis is of questionable legality in the US (because of the ~10-15% lung content in traditional recipes), other than that, it's probably sweeter than you'd expect
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there are a few leftpoindian battered fried fish options, however i can't state as to any of them's similarity to UK Fish'n'Chips (and none get the chips right)
the Batter for the Fish in Fish'n'chips is a simple "Water" & Flour batter (the easiest being 2:3 Beer:plain flour, water/milk with a pinch of bicarb and a dash of vinegar are the other primary options for the "water", the exact mix is a personal preference thing. herbs and spices are also a "to personal preference" option, my grandma used Sage and Thyme), flour the fish fillet then dredge in the batter to a thick coating, then deep fry in hot oil, the little drips of batter on their own that always happen are chef's perks
the fish itself: traditionally (labelled) Cod or Haddock (and the one you want is almost always off). plaice and pollock are the next most likely named choices, any firm whitefish or flatfish is probably workable for it
chips, same as for the butty
optional served withs: mushy peas, tartar sauce, salt and "Vinegar" (non-brewed condiment), buttered bread, wedge of lemon to be juiced over it (there's also Chip Shop Curry Sauce, but that's difficult to get right at home in Britain with premade mixes for people who know the taste, let alone if you've never had it before)
Oil or drippings
Back 47 years ago, I had a girlfriend in Edinburgh. She insisted that the best fish and chips had to be fried in drippings (animal fat), not in vegetable oil. I don't know if drippings are still used in Britain, but if they are, I suspect that may account for some of the difference in taste on either side of the pond.
Animal or vegatable
Animal fats are still used in fish and chip shops, but it seems to be regional as to which one you get. Personally I prefer the vegetable oil as it has less impact on the delacate flavour of the food.
Haggis can't be imported into
Haggis can't be imported into the US due to the ban on sheep lungs and other bits that don't go into the haggis, and thanks to the outbreaks of "hoof and mouth disease" in the UK. It is made in the US though, by Scottish companies using the same recipes they use in the UK so it's available but may not be widely available.
And steak fries are right on for UK chips, they are a different shape but are the same consistency as chips. There are also "thick cut" fries that can be used, which are about the same size as chips but likely have the skin still on them.
And given that Worcestershire sauce is a UK sauce, it's an alright alternative. It's thinner than HP sauce but it's got a slightly less peppery taste. HP sauce should be available at a supermarket in the US, they have made inroads into the US market.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Other staples include
Egg (fried) and chips, or sausage, egg and chips. Both of these being home cooked as you won't get a fried egg in the local chippy. The chip butty is also essential, but best made at home with lots of real butter.
Not forgetting the regional delicacies: Scotland is famous for it deep fried Mars bars, whilst Wales has it's chicken curry half and half (chicken, curry sauce and half portions of rice and chips). Don't forget to cover everything with a liberal coating of salt and vinegar.
Fish & Chips
Is the only true British meal I had time to try when I was there. This was back in the 70's and was only there for a handful of hours as one of our planes had to make an emergency landing (Don't remember the name of the Airbase) I was flown up to make repairs to get it home.
I liked the way the fish was cooked, although to my tastes it was a bit bland (that comes from growing up eating foods full of Caribbean spices)
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
Not sure what you think UK
Not sure what you think UK style fish might be..
I know that growing up, we always went to the chip wagon (Ottawa) to get fish and chips, but that's just battered fried fish and thick cut french fries. Otherwise, I don't know that there _is_ a "british" way to cook fish.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
My take on British food
When I visited London that one time, I’ve had “real” fish and chips in the de rigueur newspaper wrapper, a “real” English breakfast, black pudding, tiny cakes and pastries during afternoon tea, Guinness (and, no, it doesn’t have to be drunk warm) bitters (don’t like it), “real” crumpets with jam and butter, spotted dick (lol) with custard, of course, and other things, and most of them were good, though I think British cuisine is less savoury in their taste than others (as in the flavours are more mild and muted).
When I was a kid, I tried to understand the difference between our “fries” and the British “chip” - what I found out was that they were the same. The confusion comes basically from how they were first known.
The french made something called “pommes de terre frites” or more commonly “pommes frites,” which meant “fried potatoes.”
The frites then became popular with the British, but they called them chips, because they were slices of potato, since they call slices of vegetables or slices of fruit chips as well. And most Commonwealth (or former-commonwealth) countries all called fries chips as well.
When the frites were imported to America, we called them “French fried potatoes,” but as with all things, this name was too long and got shortened to “fries.”
As to American potato chips, they’re called chips because they were like poker chips. As for the British, they called them crisps because they were crispy.
Anyway, fried, battered fish partnered with fried potatoes and tartare sauce is a great partnering, as are burgers, fried potatoes and ketchup.
Speaking of fish - fish is usually poached in English dishes. I guess I like em but it depends on how well they cook them. I don’t know what you mean by “proper UK cooked style fish.
Steak and kidney pie is actually great. And you wouldn’t know which bits were kidney and which were meat because they’re chopped up and mixed together with onions and gravy into this nice and savoury pie filling. Tasty!
Haggis - I guess it’s okay. But the oats do change the texture into something different. I do suggest you put more salt and pepper than usual to make it more palatable. I don’t mind offal much (maybe because I’m half French-Canadian and half Italian), but it may be an issue for some people. Also, the uric acid in foods with lots of offal is quite high - if you have gout or kidney stones or arthritis or joint problems, you better watch out if you have Haggis. Same with steak and kidney pie (kidneys are offal, too). But haggis isn’t readily available anyway, unless you’re in Scotland, or it’s January 25.
Bacon sarnies use either what we call Canadian bacon, or what, to us, would be regular dry cured bacon. So you do have “regular” bacon sandwiches called bacon sarnies as well.
Non acid mayonnaise? I haven’t had that - Mayonnaise is, after all, an emulsion of egg yolks and an acid. I’ve heard of egg-free mayonnaise where they use gelatin instead of egg yolks (sort of like an aspic), but non-acid? And if you’re avoiding acid, why pickles?
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Pickled cucumbers can be done
Pickled cucumbers can be done with acid (vinegar) or with salt water. ('Brine Pickles')
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
Food is one of my favourite subjects
But I thought mayonnaise was made with Olive oil and egg yolk and a splash of lemon juice? I guess some manufacturers use other vegetable oil and vinegar?
I live in the south west and I can get haggis all year round in Asda or Marks and Spencers, if I remember to look for it.
British food is very varied and I'm not sure what counts as 'tradditional' any more. There are still fish and chip shops everywhere, often with bizarre names 'The Smart fish bar', 'Smileys Place's and other odd names. The closest one to us is run by a family from Madera and one in Taunton is run by two Italian guys and two Polish women. I'm told Chicken Tikka Masala is the most popular English takeaway now and that it bears very little relationship to food from India and the Balti was born in Shelly Oak in Birmingham. Every town has a Chinese takeaway, too - as far as I can tell.
Pubs do a carvery at weekends with roast beef, pork and turkey, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and boiled or steamed vegetables.
This time of year we will start doing soups and stews at home as the weather gets cooler. Beef stew with suet dumplings is one of my favourites. Diced steak fryed in beef dripping and then cooked with gravy made with at least 2 stock cubes and a spoonful of Marmite. Cooked with onion, carrots, sweets and potato and filed with dumplings made with suet, self raising flour and water with a little seasoning and herbs of your choice. Oh, and a dash of wine or port if you have company coming to dinner. It's surprising how often people invite themselves if they know you are cooking stew ;-)
there
Isn't any pastry in a 'Toad', its just Yorkshire pudding with sausages.
And as for bacon sarnies - never brown sauce, it should be tomato ketchup or nothing!
If any one wants a few pointers to popular UK dishes (with cheats to produce) get yourselves a copy of 'Gaby's Cookbook' which is available through Lulu with loads of tips and photographs to help you produce Toad, crumble and all sorts of other stuff!
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
terms
To a lot of Americans, a Yorkshire pudding would be a kind of pastry since it is made of flour and grease and is baked. :)
Don't let's get started on what is called a biscuit where. :)
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
it is not made with grease
It is cooked in a small amount of very hot fat/oil but there is no fat in the batter mix which is essentially the same as that used for pancakes.
Tip from Yorkshire - a bit of lemonade added to the batter mix makes it rise better.
Traditionalists may serve the meal in the pudding and some will even use it for a sweet.
Most common these days are individual (cup cake size) puddings or 'giant' puddings with sausage and onion gravy. When I was a kid we used to have huge tray baked puddings (a sausage toad without the toad)
My speciality is a lamb toad, lamb neck instead of the sausages with Rosemary in the batter and mint over the lamb - yum!
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
here
is a link to the cookbook
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
There are sausages and there are sausages
Many people will think that a sausage is like a Franfurter or Chorizo (or any other dry cured meat in a case such as salami).
While that is true, the 'British Sausage' is quite a bit different.
Firstly, it is uncooked when you buy it. It is simply minced meat with flavourings packed into an edible case. The meat can be pork, beef, chicken or more exotic things such as Wild Boar or Venison. There are dozens of different types of sausage made in the UK from Lincolnshire to Cumberland Rings to Welsh and the rest. Every butcher used to have their own secret recepie.
I'm lucky that I have two traditional butchers within a mile of my home and both of them have their own types of sausage. One does a very nice 'Pork and Marmite' variety. At my local farmers market you can often get some really nice ones such as Turkey and Cranberry (very seasonal), Venison and Red Wine etc.
As they are raw, they need to be cooked. Cooking a sausage requires patience unless you cheat and take the filling out of the case and flatten it or make a meat pattie.
The Bacon we get here is also very different to what is sold elswhere especially in the USA. I buy dry cured and lightly smoked Back bacon from my butcher. Commercial brands often have a lot of added water to bulk it up and help with the cure but dry curing needs no added liquid.
My favourite way to cook it is to Grill the bacon until it is sizzling but not done to a crisp. Then put it into a freshly baked and crispy bread roll. you can have whatever sauce you like as far as I'm concerned but HP is my favourite.
I'm getting hungry with all this talk of food... Time for a bacon sarnie I think?
Samantha
and I thought my friends were sick
It seems the English language isn't the only thing the British have managed to torment into a twisted pretzel. After reading what they think is eatable I'm beginning to doubt my English linage. My friends ate scrambled eggs and brains. Some of the others mentioned eating pigs feet or chicken feet. Not sure what part of that was eatable and never stopped by to find out.
Okay, the British menu is interesting but thank God I have no need to find out what it tastes like. Bru, sweety, your suggestion we meet for a night out at the London Opera is put on hold.
always,
Barb
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Don't stay away
All around the Royal Opera House (or Saddlers Wells for that matter) there is an incredible choice of places to eat. You name it and it won't be far away and many places even have one or two Michellein stars. There are even places that will cook you American Steaks.
Many of the things like "tripe and cowheel" were eaten because of necessity. Remember that we had well over 10 years of food rationing during and after WW2. I still have my own ration card!
Come and you won't be dissapointed about the choice of food.
Samantha
Scrambled Brains?
As Samantha reminded us, you can eat very well in London (I assume that still applies, it's been a while since I last was there). You name it, they've got it. So don't think you are getting out of a night at the opera THAT easy! Remember, it's not over until the fat lady sings.
A traditional English meal in a countryside pub can truly be a culinary deligth (I admit to a fondness for various pies) though if you have eaten a lot you might want to skip the spotted dick for dessert since that is rather filling.
As for what people think is edible or not is a matter of custom to a large degree. So far I've skipped the sheeps eyes (if I get a craving I can buy it in the shop just around the corner) but tried some other things, sometimes positively surprised (and sometimes not)
- Cervaux de veau in a university canteen in France (pre-vCJD)
- Pig's snout in a very nice Spanish restaurant
- Surströmming (fermented herring, fermented in barrels and then put in tins, when the tin bulges it's ready to eat) at a raucous Swedish "Surströmmingsskiva" (Swedes are like old pumps - you need to pour something into them and then it starts flowing)
- Hákarl in a fancy restaurant in Reykjavik (Take a poisonous Greenland Shark, behead and gut, bury in sand for 6-12 weeks, cut in strips and hang to dry for several months)
- Fried pig's ears to accompany your beer in Lithuania (I prefer the fried bread with the cheesy sauce)
- Weisswurst in Germany
and so on and on.
Just forget your preconceptions! (and be prepared to throw up)
Bru
Weiswurst
Urgh!
The last meal I had on a Switzerland trip a few years ago - it was all I could afford at the campsite - gross doesn't come into it!
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
I couldn't agree more!
:(
Bru
You were raised in Oklahoma,
You were raised in Oklahoma, and you don't remember pickled pigs feet, knuckle sandwiches, and beef tongue?
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
um..., no!
Closest I got to those delicacies is hearing others talk about them. I was born and raised on a diary farm. We had milk and chickens. Sometimes finances were too tight for daddy to butcher a beef because he needed the money to pay the feed bill so it was sold. Sometimes supper was cornbread crumbled up in a glass of milk. That was it. Breakfast might be cornbread, and a couple eggs, glass of milk. As bad as it got mama always managed to have a good lunch. Fried chicken, gravy, cornbread, greens out of the garden or weeds from the fence row (lambsquarter). I honestly don't regret one single day growing up on the farm. I guess I'm what they call a farm girl through and through. I believe I'm tough but I ain't tough enough to eat what them insane British call food. Nor what some of those around me thought was eatable.
Life is a gift. Treasure it until it's time to return it.
always,
Barb
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
I've known folks that really
I've known folks that really liked tongue and brains. Pigs feet were pickled to make them soft, and they're actually very healthy. The trotters are exactly what you need for healthy nails, for example. Growing up, they always had them at the pool hall/bar that we went to sometimes when I was small. Jars of pickled eggs, pigs feet, and, of course, bar peanuts and corn nuts.
I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.
British foods
Adding my tuppence worth (to use a traditional English phrase), a few of my favourites
The 'full English breakfast' (bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread and sausages)
Kippers (Split, salted and cold-smoked herring - as a breakfast dish)
Devilled kidneys (Lamb's kidneys in a spiced sauce - an excellent brunch)
Cornish pasty (Meat and veg cooked in pastry. The pastry was formed into a flat circle, the meat and veg placed in the centre, and the pastry folded over and crimped together, forming a semi-circle. Traditionally, it was cooked the previous night, and the wife would give the cold pasty to the husband, to take down into the mine, and eat as lunch - an early fast food meal)
Shepherds/cottage pie (Minced lamb/beef with a mashed potato crust. Mince may also include some vegetables, to taste. An excellent fill-you-up dish)
Welsh Rarebit (A much superior verson of the American 'grilled cheese sandwich'. The cheese sauce is enriched with the addition of ale or wine, mustard or peppers, and Worcestershire sauce)
The pork pie (Chopped, pressed, pork in a pastry crust, eaten cold. Marvellous)
Hey!
Guys you forget spam, spam, spam and spam!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE
Monique S
Re: Spam
Sorry Monique... Spam originated in the USA before WW2
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(food)
The Pyhon team were all born before or around WW2 so would have had SPAM as according to my Mother, it was not on Ration after the war. That meant people ate a lot of it. SPAM fritters (uck)
Samantha
Spam fritters
were a regular for school dinners well into the seventies - usually with chips and bakeder beans. I was never keen on the batter so 'freed' mine - much better nekked!
They seem to be making a comeback - they've been on the menu at a few NW chippies of late.
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Spam Skit
A co worker of mine can quote the entire script from memory and does really great mimicking the voices.
We the willing, led by the unsure. Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.
nothing wrong
With a bit of spam - i've got a tin in the cupboard now.
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Don't forget traditional
Don't forget traditional British drinks. In particular, Scotland's other national drink. :-)
Debs xxxx
Cornish pastie
i might be starting an argument here but you cannot beat a good old Cornish pasty.
Isn't that like an English knish?
I had a few at a pasty shop somebody opened in a former Arby's or something in Long Beach Ca way back in the 80's. I don't know how authentic these were but they were delicious, and I was sad when they closed down after a month with me as the only customer...
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
a real
Cornish Pasty can only be made west of the Tamar by law. Traditionally it has a savoury filling at one end and a sweet filling the other.
The restriction on the term 'Cornish pasty' has backfired somewhat - my local bakers to Yorkshire pasties (same thing in fact), cowboy pasties (beans and sausage filling) plus a wide variety of other fillings. If you want a Cornish pasty you have to buy a poor imitation from Ginsters.
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Pasty availability
There are outlets of 'The West Cornwall Pasty Company' at larger railway stations, some airports and quite a few Motorway service areas.
Far better than Ginsters IMHO.
Samantha
You're right there!
There's a lot to say for them. I love them too and was going to mention them, but got too tempted with the spam.
Monique S
You can't beat steak & Kidney pie.
Almost every 'Chippy' in England and Wales (Can't speak for the whole of Scotland although I know Glasgow chippies do a good line,) sell some version of 'Steak-an-kid'; some good, some mediocre but I've rarely encountered a bad one. Also many restaurants have their own home-made versions on their menues and they are often popular items on their menues.
I have found that some cross-ponders consider 'offal' to be inedible and refuse to eat kidneys, liver, heart and lights but truely these can be delicious when cooked properly and often added into some sort of pie or pudding. Black pudding is a particularly tasty type of dark sausage made from sheep's blood and assorted offal that is popular with a full English breakfast. Good on you Gwen for trying out some of our localised foods. Oh by the way, Haggis is also good eating too.
xx Beverly.
you can get
very good S&K puddings in some chippies on the west edge of the Pennines - Glossop, Burnley etc - I prefer a pudding to a pie, really will have to make some this winter - I even have a double boiler somewhere! Often in pubs etc they claim to do puddings but they bake them so the suet is dry and crusty - more like a suet pie than a pudding.
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
Goose
Would any of you know the traditional receipt and method of cooking one from back when they did them in the bakers oven way back before home kitchen ovens.
Have a good day and enjoy life.
Modern day recreation
Modern day recreation
Sorry if it directly contradicts what some believe is "traditional" but it's the closest I could find.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime