# Some Classic Comfort Foods Of UK



## creative (Aug 13, 2014)

I just read an interesting thread on comfort foods of US.  Whilst we are a smaller country (and in no way is this an attempt to compete), since this seems to be a US based cookery forum I thought you might like to see our list.  

In my view it misses out a few, e.g. Steak & Kidney Pie, Lancashire Hotpot and Bakewell tart amongst others.

British comfort food to make your mouth water - Telegraph


----------



## Addie (Aug 13, 2014)

There is a Pub in Vermont run by two men and their wives who are from Scotland. Poo took me there and the menu is rather small, but that didn't matter because right at the top in big letters was "Bangers and Mashed Potatoes." I just had to order them. They were so good. 

You feel like you really in the UK when you walk through the door. I could only wish my first husband was alive. He would have felt right at home.


----------



## menumaker (Aug 13, 2014)

Heinz tomato soup, cheese on toast with worcester sauce splashed over it, scones with strawberry jam and *clotted cream*.( don't ask, just know it is divine, thick, rich cream).............hang on a minute,I'm thinking  I'll move back?????


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

creative said:


> I just read an interesting thread on comfort foods of US.  Whilst we are a smaller country (and in no way is this an attempt to compete), since this seems to be a US based cookery forum I thought you might like to see our list.
> 
> In my view it misses out a few, e.g. Steak & Kidney Pie, Lancashire Hotpot and Bakewell tart amongst others.
> 
> British comfort food to make your mouth water - Telegraph


Creative, as a one-time resident of Bakewell in Derbyshire, I have to take you up on Bakewell tart. In the town it's called Bakewell PUDDING and woe be-tide you if you call it a tart. It shows you up as an in-comer 

I have the original recipe if you'd like it. The cook in the boarding school I taught in was the umpteenth great neice cook at the Rutland Hotel who first made it by accident when the landlady of the hotel garbled the instructions for a different sort of tart. 

There's a rather nasty version made by the mammoth commercial bakeries which they call Bakewell tart which has flour and nasty artificial almond flavouring in it but it doesn't hold a candle to the real McCoy.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

*Steak & Kidney Pudding*

(or Kate and Sidney, as my old Dad used to call it.)

BBC - Food - Recipes : Steak and kidney pudding
(If you don't like kidney you can substitute mushrooms)

Good "rib sticking", winter warming food. We can buy Atora shredded suet in packets in the supermarket but a good butcher should be able to provide some. Suet is the hard white fat on the kidneys and loins of cattle or sheep. Beef suet is best. If you are regular/good customer the butcher may be inclined to process it for you (ie remove the membrane and shred the fat) if given enough notice. I have heard that people substitute or other hard fats for the suet but I think you have to freeze it before grating it up and start cooking before the fat melts. Don't quote me on this as I've never used anything but suet.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

Addie said:


> There is a Pub in Vermont run by two men and their wives who are from Scotland. Poo took me there and the menu is rather small, but that didn't matter because right at the top in big letters was "Bangers and Mashed Potatoes." I just had to order them. They were so good.
> 
> You feel like you really in the UK when you walk through the door. I could only wish my first husband was alive. He would have felt right at home.


Did you ever visit over here when you were married to No1, Addie? IIRC you once said he came from the Lake District. It's beautiful country (if it stops raining) for walking, climbing, afternoon tea, or just sitting watching the boats on Lake Windermere or the sheep on the hillsides. Very relaxing. And Carnforth Station buffet was used as a location set for the 1945 film "Brief Encounter" (a big time weepie). It's been restored by it's current owners who run it as a cafe/restaurant. Trains still run through the station but  they are no longer drawn by steam locomotives.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

*More British comfort food*

1. Cornish or Devon cream tea = scone, jam and clotted cream + pot of tea. The difference between the Devon and the Cornwall versions is that in the Devon version the cream goes on the scone and then the jam and in the Cornish version the jam goes on the scone first and then the cream. I fail to see why it matters but but get it wrong down there in the south west of England and you're likely to get lynched!

2. Haggis (Scotland) = if you don't already know what goes into this and you are given to squeamishness, I suggest you don't ask. Just eat and enjoy with "neeps" (Swede or rutabaga) and a tot of "the water of life" (Scotch whisky to you and me) 

3. Derbyshire/Staffordshire oatcakes = a sort of oatmeal pancake, Fry it in the bacon fat and serve with bacon and eggs or wrap round fingers of cheese and heat in the oven or toast and eat with butter and jam. (There's another sort of oatcake in Scotland which is crisp, like a cracker and is served with the cheese board - don't try frying that one!) Recipe for Derbyshire or Staffordshire oatcakes (I can't tell the difference) follows:-

Staffordshire Oatcakes Recipe - staffordshire.co.uk (If you use the instant yeast you just chuck it in with the other dry ingredients.)


----------



## creative (Aug 13, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Creative, as a one-time resident of Bakewell in Derbyshire, I have to take you up on Bakewell tart. In the town it's called Bakewell PUDDING and woe be-tide you if you call it a tart. It shows you up as an in-comer
> 
> I have the original recipe if you'd like it. The cook in the boarding school I taught in was the umpteenth great neice cook at the Rutland Hotel who first made it by accident when the landlady of the hotel garbled the instructions for a different sort of tart.
> 
> There's a rather nasty version made by the mammoth commercial bakeries which they call Bakewell tart which has flour and nasty artificial almond flavouring in it but it doesn't hold a candle to the real McCoy.


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).


----------



## menumaker (Aug 13, 2014)

When we first came to France I was in need of suet to make our 1st Christmas puddings / mincemeat but, alas, no Atora!! I went to the local Abattoir and explained what I needed and duly fetched it a couple of days later. Not using it here for cooking they said I could have it Gratuit et bon noel!! ( Free and happy christmas you strange deranged foreign woman) I added those last bits. Anyway, I had this whole lump of hard kidney fat so I rendered it down in water in the oven on a very low heat for a long slow time, let it cool overnight, skimmed off the now smooth fat and, yes, MC  froze it in manageable sizes. Holding it in a butter paper so as not to add my skin to the product and working quickly I grated what I needed on my trusty cheese grater. Forked in a little flour to stop it reforming into another lump and 'Hey Presto' it worked very well..........................I now send my friends shopping for Atora when they visit the UK. I am not perfect OK?


----------



## Addie (Aug 13, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> Did you ever visit over here when you were married to No1, Addie? IIRC you once said he came from the Lake District. It's beautiful country (if it stops raining) for walking, climbing, afternoon tea, or just sitting watching the boats on Lake Windermere or the sheep on the hillsides. Very relaxing. And Carnforth Station buffet was used as a location set for the 1945 film "Brief Encounter" (a big time weepie). It's been restored by it's current owners who run it as a cafe/restaurant. Trains still run through the station but  they are no longer drawn by steam locomotives.



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.


----------



## menumaker (Aug 13, 2014)

Oops!, *I* should have mentioned Haggis shouldn't I? It is a 'given' for us of course along with Stornoway Black pudding.  Every Burns night ( January 23rd) we have a Ceilidh here at home and treat our French and british  friends alike to this traditional meal. We also manage to imbibe a bit of the water of life as well of course.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

creative said:


> 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).


Ok, Creative. I'll look it out later and post it here


----------



## Addie (Aug 13, 2014)

menumaker said:


> When we first came to France I was in need of suet to make our 1st Christmas puddings / mincemeat but, alas, no Atora!! I went to the local Abattoir and explained what I needed and duly fetched it a couple of days later. Not using it here for cooking they said I could have it Gratuit et bon noel!! ( Free and happy Christmas you strange deranged foreign woman) I added those last bits. Anyway, I had this whole lump of hard kidney fat so I rendered it down in water in the oven on a very low heat for a long slow time, let it cool overnight, skimmed off the now smooth fat and, yes, MC  froze it in manageable sizes. Holding it in a butter paper so as not to add my skin to the product and working quickly I grated what I needed on my trusty cheese grater. Forked in a little flour to stop it reforming into another lump and 'Hey Presto' it worked very well..........................I now send my friends shopping for Atora when they visit the UK. I am not perfect OK?



Whenever I buy a rib roast, I always ask my butcher for a strip of beef suet. He give me a nice long strip from the side of the cow. One side is kind of dirty, so I use my cheese slicer to clean it off. Then wash the strip in cold water. I use it to wrap my rib roast. The melted fat makes for a great Yorkshire Pudding when the roast is done along with keeping the roast moist. No charge either. It would only be sold and go back to the waste meat processing company.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

menumaker said:


> *Heinz tomato soup,* cheese on toast with worcester sauce splashed over it, scones with strawberry jam and *clotted cream*.( don't ask, just know it is divine, thick, rich cream).............hang on a minute,I'm thinking  I'll move back?????


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.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 13, 2014)

menumaker said:


> When we first came to France I was in need of suet to make our 1st Christmas puddings / mincemeat but, alas, no Atora!! I went to the local Abattoir and explained what I needed and duly fetched it a couple of days later. Not using it here for cooking they said I could have it Gratuit et bon noel!! ( Free and happy christmas you strange deranged foreign woman) I added those last bits. Anyway, I had this whole lump of hard kidney fat so I rendered it down in water in the oven on a very low heat for a long slow time, let it cool overnight, skimmed off the now smooth fat and, yes, MC  froze it in manageable sizes. Holding it in a butter paper so as not to add my skin to the product and working quickly I grated what I needed on my trusty cheese grater. Forked in a little flour to stop it reforming into another lump and 'Hey Presto' it worked very well..........................I now send my friends shopping for Atora when they visit the UK. I am not perfect OK?


Why go to all the bother if you have access to Tescos


----------



## chiklitmanfan (Aug 13, 2014)

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.


----------



## Kayelle (Aug 13, 2014)

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


----------



## FrankZ (Aug 13, 2014)

chiklitmanfan said:


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



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


chiklitmanfan said:


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



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



chiklitmanfan said:


> 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?



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.



chiklitmanfan said:


> 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.



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'.


----------



## Steve Kroll (Aug 13, 2014)

I've travelled to the UK many times on business over the years and really developed a fondness for the foods. I would consider many of the items on the list above to be "pub grub" and I've tried most them at one time or another.

Cornish Pasties and the many tasty variants are probably my favorite. Several years ago I spent an entire summer working in the little village of Evesham (in Worcestershire) and the one thing I looked forward to every day was knocking off for lunch and walking across the street to the pasty shop. I would gather up my treat and head over to the park to enjoy it while sitting on a bench overlooking the ruins of an old abbey. Sometimes I would sit by the river and watch the swans. Good times.

One other thing that always struck me as "comfort food" in the UK was curry. I spent many a night at some backwater little curry house, where the food was usually divine.


----------



## creative (Aug 13, 2014)

chiklitmanfan said:


> 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:
> 
> ...


Yes!  Bubble and squeak!  And how did they miss out English Trifle?


----------



## Aunt Bea (Aug 14, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> *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 (Aug 14, 2014)

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 (Aug 14, 2014)

Aunt Bea said:


> 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 (Aug 14, 2014)

chiklitmanfan said:


> 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:
> 
> ...


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 (Aug 14, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> 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 (Aug 14, 2014)

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 (Aug 15, 2014)

*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 (Aug 15, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *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 (Aug 15, 2014)

Addie said:


> 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 (Aug 15, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *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 (Aug 15, 2014)

creative said:


> 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 (Aug 15, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> 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)
> 
> ...



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 (Aug 15, 2014)

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 (Aug 15, 2014)

FrankZ said:


> 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.
> ...


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 (Aug 15, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> 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 (Aug 15, 2014)

creative said:


> 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 (Aug 15, 2014)

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 (Aug 17, 2014)

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 (Aug 17, 2014)

Mrs JJJ said:


> 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 (Aug 18, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


> 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.


----------



## Addie (Aug 18, 2014)

Mad Cook said:


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



Thank you. I have always had a secret love affair with the UK. I think it all started when I was learning about all of your history in school. One year I started a project where I went to the library and took out a book on William the Conquer and followed the succession up to Queen Elizabeth II. We can skip London. It is your countryside and small villages that fascinate me.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Aug 18, 2014)

Addie said:


> 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.


First, you have to like tomato soup. Never EVER could like it. Growing up Catholic when you never ate meat on any Fridays, tomato soup and something was in the monthly rotation. Put cream in it, add macaronis to it...I don't care, it's still tomato soup.

Silly, I know, but my "I need comforting" food when things get really bad is a bowl of (equally yucky, some of you will say) Campbell's cream of mushroom soup. The "improved" version they came out with a few years back isn't as rich tasting, but making it with all milk is much better than the can's suggestion of water or half milk/half water. Sometimes I even sub part of the milk with half-and-half.


----------



## Addie (Aug 18, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> First, you have to like tomato soup. Never EVER could like it. Growing up Catholic when you never ate meat on any Fridays, tomato soup and something was in the monthly rotation. Put cream in it, add macaronis to it...I don't care, it's still tomato soup.
> 
> Silly, I know, but my "I need comforting" food when things get really bad is a bowl of (equally yucky, some of you will say) Campbell's cream of mushroom soup. The "improved" version they came out with a few years back isn't as rich tasting, but making it with all milk is much better than the can's suggestion of water or half milk/half water. Sometimes I even sub part of the milk with half-and-half.



My favorite Campbell's soup is Chicken Noodle Soup. But for cream soups, it has to be with milk only. Even for their tomato soup. No water here.


----------



## Andy M. (Aug 18, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> First, you have to like tomato soup. Never EVER could like it...




The first time I tasted tomato soup, I was a teenager.  It was Campbell's tomato soup.  I hated it.  Still do.  

Then one day, about a dozen years ago, I saw Jacques Pepin make a quick tomato soup on one of his cooking shows.  I made it and really like it.


----------



## creative (Aug 18, 2014)

Although Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup is immensely popular here in UK, I used to like it more than I do now.  My tastes have become more refined (or changed) since it feels like there is far too much sugar in it.  I still quite like the tang it has though.

The same with their baked beans but I am glad to see they now do a selected range of baked beans with less salt and sugar.  A welcome improvement.


----------



## Kayelle (Aug 18, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> First, you have to like tomato soup. Never EVER could like it. Growing up Catholic when you never ate meat on any Fridays, tomato soup and something was in the monthly rotation. Put cream in it, add macaronis to it...I don't care, it's still tomato soup.
> 
> Silly, I know, but my "I need comforting" food when things get really bad is a bowl of (equally yucky, some of you will say) Campbell's cream of mushroom soup. The "improved" version they came out with a few years back isn't as rich tasting, but making it with all milk is much better than the can's suggestion of water or half milk/half water. Sometimes I even sub part of the milk with half-and-half.



CG, you are the first person I've ever known to actually have a bowl of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! I have used it for cooking, but it just never occurred to me, guess I'll have to try it. I adore my own homemade Cream of Mushroom soup though, with a touch of Sherry.


----------



## Addie (Aug 18, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> CG, you are the first person I've ever known to actually have a bowl of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! I have used it for cooking, but it just never occurred to me, guess I'll have to try it. I adore my own homemade Cream of Mushroom soup though, with a touch of Sherry.



All of my family loves Cream of Mushroom Soup. We love it with croutons. I have often served it as a snack at night. I always had supper on the table by 5. So a late night snack of soup around 8 p.m. was not unusual. Specially in the winter when it would be so cold outside.


----------



## Dawgluver (Aug 18, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> CG, you are the first person I've ever known to actually have a bowl of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! I have used it for cooking, but it just never occurred to me, guess I'll have to try it. I adore my own homemade Cream of Mushroom soup though, with a touch of Sherry.




Really, Kayelle!  I love it as soup too, add an extra can of mushrooms and their liquid, along with a drop or two of sherry.  Milk or half and half.  Lots of fresh ground pepper, and saltines.  

I make some pretty good mushroom soup from scratch as well, but it's nice to have the base ready in the cabinet!


----------



## taxlady (Aug 18, 2014)

When I ate Campbell's soups, I loved the cream of mushroom and cream of celery. On the other hand, the tomato soup . It took me years to figure out that tomato soup could taste good, just not the stuff out of a can.


----------



## Kayelle (Aug 18, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> Really, Kayelle!  I love it as soup too, add an extra can of mushrooms and their liquid, along with a drop or two of sherry.  Milk or half and half.  Lots of fresh ground pepper, and saltines.
> 
> I make some pretty good mushroom soup from scratch as well, but it's nice to have the base ready in the cabinet!



See, I learn another taste treat here every day!


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Aug 19, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> CG, you are the first person I've ever known to actually have a bowl of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! I have used it for cooking, but it just never occurred to me, guess I'll have to try it. I adore my own homemade Cream of Mushroom soup though, with a touch of Sherry.



I love the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, too!  Best thing on a cold afternoon. I drink it down from a mug, same with the tomato soup.  I make both with water.  That's how I grew up, canned cream soups were made with water. I make Shrek's with milk.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Aug 19, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> CG, you are the first person I've ever known to actually have a bowl of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup! I have used it for cooking, but it just never occurred to me, guess I'll have to try it. I adore my own homemade Cream of Mushroom soup though, with a touch of Sherry.


I make a homemade mushroom soup sometimes, but the can is quicker when I'm feeling bad. It's actually a substitute for my very favorite comfort soup my Mom would make, zacierki na mleku - or "dzad-chill-kee". It's a simple Polish milk soup. You bring milk to simmer just under a boil, then spoon or grate a noodle dumpling dough into the milk, then gently boil it for a couple minutes. Spoon into bowl, put a pat of butter on top, and feel your worries melt away. Greatest boo-boo fixer ever.  I might actually think of making it this winter.

Next time I open a can of mushroom soup I'll have to remember a splash of sherry.


----------



## Mad Cook (Aug 24, 2014)

Mrs JJJ said:


> 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!


Ohhhh! Gypsy tart!!!! The cook at a school I taught in in Essex used to make it for lunch. You don't often find the words "school dinners" and "wonderful" in the same sentence but the dinners at that school were the best I ever had in any school I worked in!

Dymchurch is lovely. I like the Dr Syn connection. I used to stay in Rye once or twice a year and pootle about along that coast and all over the Romney Marsh. I missed the gypsy tart shop in Dymchurch though. 

Did you ever read any of the Monica Edwards Romney Marsh children's books which were set in and around Rye Harbour?


----------



## KatyCooks (Oct 3, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *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.


 
Colcannon - my (Irish) dad always called it "Boxty" when I was growing up!  I didn't hear the term "Colcannon" until I was in my 20s!

British food has come an awfully long way since the war - but a reputation for poor food is a hard one to break - specially when you live "next door" to France, Italy and Spain - traditionally superior (and able to grow a wider variety of fruit and vegetables due to their climate maybe?)  

Anyway, the Brits are divided these days - much like America I suspect.  There are "foodies" who visit the latest restaurants and gasp over "gastronomy" but not over the astronomical prices.   There are "foodies" who obsess over "local produce" "air miles" "organic produce" etc.  And there are "foodies" (like me) who simply obsess about food!   (I am interested in everything to do with food, but not particularly interested in the "latest fad")  

CG - you didn't know what a kidney was?   That must have been a shock!   I love a good lamb's kidney!  In fact I will be cooking with them this weekend.    (I guess you won't be popping over?)


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Oct 4, 2014)

*Katy*, when I was a wee child I didn't know where different cuts came from. When I found out, I decided that I didn't want to eat them anymore. Silly, right? If they were tasty when I was 8 or 10, they should be tasty now.

The Polish soup I referred to included a quart of duck blood. My great aunt would tell me it was melted chocolate...and it was good. But blood? 

BTW, the way I learned about different Irish potato dishes: Boxty is a potato pancake/patty, Colcannon is mashed with cabbage, and Champs is mashed with  green onions (scallions). Then there is Bubble and Squeak, which turned out to be a loose pan of awesomness! Couldn't get mine to stick. Well, except to my hips...


----------



## Mad Cook (Oct 6, 2014)

KatyCooks said:


> *British food has come an awfully long way since the war - but a reputation for poor food is a hard one to break* -


15 years of rationing didn't help but even then creative cooks could may a fairly good silk purse out of a sow's ear.

You look a lot younger than me in your avatar so you won't remember the exotica that started to come in during the '60s - Vesta paella and curries with rice - just add boiling water. Even my fairly uneducated palate worked out that real paella and real curries couldn't possibly taste that bad. 

A 1971 vintage packet of Vesta curry sold on Ebay a while back for £11.50 at auction. The mind boggles!


----------



## Addie (Oct 6, 2014)

We have a show here starring Anthony Bourdain. He travels the world and eats. (Oh, how he must suffer!) He mentioned once that England had the reputation that all their food was boiled and bland. But when they came off rationing, they went wild. So be prepared for some delectable delights! He couldn't rave enough about England and Ireland and the food he found. What I like about  him is that he goes to little out of the way local spots. There is no High Tea at the Dorchester for him.


----------



## Aunt Bea (Oct 7, 2014)

I've never eaten in Britain but I have enjoyed many traditional recipes.  

I think the reputation for bad food has more to do with the monotony of a restricted diet during hard times than the actual preparation of the food.  

My maternal grandmother's family was from England and they could make any food seem special because of the heartfelt hospitality they offered with it.  A pot of tea, a few cookies and sandwiches piled high on a curate made a big impression on me when I was little. 

A sandwich never tasted that good at home!


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 7, 2014)

When I was 18, about 30 years ago, my mom gave me a trip to Europe for my high school graduation present - a pre-paid tour, 15 countries in 30 days, with about 20 other people about my age. We traveled on a tour bus with a driver and a guide. We started in Holland and went to Denmark, Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Belgium and several others, finishing up in England. The tour was designed to showcase the best of the culture of each country with trips to museums and parks, etc. England had my least favorite food of that trip. I remember it being bland with very little seasoning. And warm beer - ew. I suspect that when people make these recipes here in the States, they add more flavor than the original had.


----------



## Dawgluver (Oct 7, 2014)

I too got to travel to England for a class when I was 20, many moons ago.  The most memorable food I ate was prawns in an avocado with that special pink sauce, I had that whenever I could.  Our instructor also took the class to Simpsons on the Strand, where we had roast beast.  Most of what we ate was pretty bland.


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 7, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> I too got to travel to England for a class when I was 20, many moons ago.  The most memorable food I ate was prawns in an avocado with that special pink sauce, I had that whenever I could.  Our instructor also took the class to Simpsons on the Strand, where we had roast beast.  Most of what we ate was pretty bland.



Marie Rose sauce? Love that stuff. An Irish pub near us used to serve it with fish and chips. Then it closed and reopened with a new chef who serves it with ordinary tartar sauce. We haven't been back. It's no longer special.


----------



## Dawgluver (Oct 7, 2014)

Yes, that's it!  I just remember it was delicious.


----------



## bakechef (Oct 7, 2014)

Having watched The Great British Bake Off, I really enjoy seeing how their traditional baked goods differ from ours.  There is a longer tradition of baking there with it being an older country. I also like seeing more technical bakes and recipes from all over Europe being made.

They brought the show to the US for one season and it's sad to see how it was dumbed down, the bakes were far less technical and the shows were edited for maximum drama.  The drama seemed more important than the baking


----------



## creative (Oct 7, 2014)

bakechef said:


> Having watched The Great British Bake Off, I really enjoy seeing how their traditional baked goods differ from ours.  There is a longer tradition of baking there with it being an older country. I also like seeing more technical bakes and recipes from all over Europe being made.
> 
> They brought the show to the US for one season and it's sad to see how it was dumbed down, the bakes were far less technical and the shows were edited for maximum drama.  The drama seemed more important than the baking


Yes it is a very popular programme here - combination of the challenges, useful tips and packaged well with its presenters.

I am surprised to hear that in the US edition there is even MORE drama!  The UK entrants are not exactly calm...very nervous and upset if they don't come up to scratch.  

So, is the US more like....


----------



## bakechef (Oct 7, 2014)

creative said:


> Yes it is a very popular programme here - combination of the challenges, useful tips and packaged well with its presenters.
> 
> I am surprised to hear that in the US edition there is even MORE drama!  The UK entrants are not exactly calm...very nervous and upset if they don't come up to scratch.
> 
> So, is the US more like....



Well it's more created drama, they peg someone as a villain, another as a victim, and edit it for maximum drama.  It's less about what actually happened and more about creating drama.  It's the American reality show formula.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Oct 8, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> Marie Rose sauce? Love that stuff. An Irish pub near us used to serve it with fish and chips..


I think you just solved part of a puzzle for me! We have a favorite Irish pub. One of our favorites is Irish Pizza that comes with some type of dipping sauce. The pizza is potato shells on a CI pan (looks a lot like a fajita pan...) topped with bacon, green onions, cheese and ??? Oh dear, looks like we have to go back to refresh my memory.


----------



## buckytom (Oct 8, 2014)

really? they actually call a stuffed potato skin an irish pizza?

that insults both ireland _and_ italy.

they must be from east belfast.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Oct 8, 2014)

bt, this dish is SO beyond "stuffed potato skins". The potato shell isn't deep-fried but still crispy. There is a load of two cheeses (cheddar and mozz?). The rest of the generous toppings are bacon, green onions, fresh mushrooms and tomato. And that very yummy dipping sauce.  I know I've taken a photo of it when we've eaten at O'Connor's, but I cannot find it in either my phone gallery or Dropbox.  Found a rather large image on google. Hopefully, it minimizes the size so that I don't crash DC.  






And now I have a monster craving for one to split with Himself. And an Imperial pint of something imported on-tap to wash it down.


----------



## creative (Oct 8, 2014)

Wow...I would love to eat that!


----------



## Addie (Oct 8, 2014)

I don't know if it is still there, but there used to be a food cart at Fanuiel Hall. The only thing they served was baked potatoes with a large selection of toppings. I would often get one for my lunch. Bacon bits, butter and a dollop of sour cream. You got one of the tiny packets of S&P. They were always too hot to handle. But the important thing was the skin was crispy. *They were not baked in foil.* He would crack them open and then put the toppings on. I would take it back to my office and take my time eating it.


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 8, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> bt, this dish is SO beyond "stuffed potato skins". The potato shell isn't deep-fried but still crispy. There is a load of two cheeses (cheddar and mozz?). The rest of the generous toppings are bacon, green onions, fresh mushrooms and tomato. And that very yummy dipping sauce.  I know I've taken a photo of it when we've eaten at O'Connor's, but I cannot find it in either my phone gallery or Dropbox.  Found a rather large image on google. Hopefully, it minimizes the size so that I don't crash DC.
> 
> And now I have a monster craving for one to split with Himself. And an Imperial pint of something imported on-tap to wash it down.



That looks amazing  I've seen a recipe for crispy potato skins where the potatoes were baked, cut in half, and laid on a baking sheet, then another baking sheet was used to smush the potatoes so the skins had maximum contact with the sheet, then filled and baked again. 

For you: http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/536089/marie-rose-sauce


----------



## creative (Oct 8, 2014)

Ah thanks GG...I searched for a baked potato Irish pizza recipe with no joy.  That at least provides a method for doing it.


----------



## Mad Cook (Oct 8, 2014)

Dawgluver said:


> I too got to travel to England for a class when I was 20, many moons ago. The most memorable food I ate was prawns in an avocado with that special pink sauce, I had that whenever I could. Our instructor also took the class to Simpsons on the Strand, where we had roast beast. Most of what we ate was pretty bland.


Yes, Simpsons-in-the-Strand is still noted for good English traditional food with good quality well-cooked ingredients not messed around. If you want Roast beef, fine but if you want chilli con carne or burgers you're in the wrong place.

That "special pink sauce" is now glorified as "Marie Rose sauce" (or "pink Mary" as Dad used to call it). You can buy it in jars quite expensively but really it's only mayo and tomato ketchup, lemon juice  to taste, a pinch of cayenne and/or a dash of tabasco or Worcester sauce plus salt and pepper to taste. Very "posh" in the 1960s. It's good with burgers as well as with seafood.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Oct 9, 2014)

Thanks for the link GG, but I had already been online hunting last night. Saw that one, along with a lot more. There are quite a few variations of Marie Rose Sauce. One even called for a Tbsp or two of brandy.  Ah, need to try that one...must buy brandy. Now I have an excuse reason.


----------



## GotGarlic (Oct 9, 2014)

Brandy, eh? I have some left from summer Sangria-making. Now I have another way to use it! Thanks


----------

