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Sometimes under-appreciated,
traditional British cuisine offers many wonderful dishes and great variety
from the different corners of the United Kingdom.
British culture (and cooking!) have been greatly enriched by immigration and overseas influences.
Although there are commonalities throughout the British Isles, it should be remember that
the United Kingdom is a union
of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each of which has their own distinctive
cultural and culinary traditions. Additionally, as already mentioned, immigration and trade with
other nations have greatly influenced British food, and caused the emergence of new culinary styles
such as Anglo-Indian.
British, and especially English cuisine, has not always had the highest reputation abroad. For example,
in 2005, French President,
Jacques Chirac described English food as the second worst in Europe
(he considered Finnish cuisine the worst). However, while it's true that there are some poor quality
restaurants, despite this reputation, there are in fact many excellent British restaurants too
(in 2005, Restaurant
Magazine said 14 of the 50 best restaurants in the world were in the
United Kingdom), and a willingness
among the British population to experiment with new styles and dishes, both at home and when
eating out.
Some popular British meals and foods include:
- Full English breakfast - Sausage, bacon, eggs (usually fried or scrambled), fried bread, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, black pudding (a type of blood sausage) and baked beans.
- Sunday roast - Roasted meat with roast potatoes and vegetables, traditionally eaten on a Sunday.
There are several common varieties: roast beef (beef with gravy, horseradish sauce and mustard, served with Yorkshire pudding - a dish made from baked dough),
roast pork (pork with "crackling" (crispy cooked pork rind), apple sauce),
roast lamb (lamb with mint sauce or redcurrant jam),
and roast chicken (chicken with chipolata sausages (small thin sausages), bread sauce, and cranberry sauce or redcurrant jam).
- Toad in the hole - Sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter.
- Fish and chips - Battered and fried fish (often cod or plaice) with French fries. Mushy peas (a green "soup" made from peas) is a popular accompaniement.
- Bangers and mash - Sausage and mashed potato.
- Pie and mash - A pie containing ground ("minced") meat, served with mash potato. Traditionally,
in the East End of London, pies were made with water left over from stewing eels, which are served as a cold side dish ("jellied eels").
- Shepherd's pie - Ground ("minced") lamb covered with a layer of mashed potato, and optionally
cheese. Variations exist with beef ("cottage pie") or fish ("fisherman's pie").
- Lancashire hotpot - Meat, onion and potatoes baked in a pot or casserole dish for a long time on low heat.
- Cornish pasty - A baked pie with a distinctive shape, traditionally filled with beef, onion, potato
and swede (rutabaga). Traditionally, these were eaten by miners working in the Cornish tin industry,
and it sometimes claimed that fruit would be placed at one end of the pasty to serve as a sweet dish.
- Kedgeree - Flaked fish (usually smoked haddock), with boiled rice, eggs and butter. The dish has its
origins in the time of the British Indian Empire.
- Chicken tikka massala - An Anglo-Indian dish made by cooking chunks of marinated chicken in a curry sauce.
Usually eaten with rice or naan (Indian bread).
- Balti - An Anglo-Indian dish originating from Birmingham:
A thick curry made using lamb ("balti gosht") or chicken ("balti murgh"), cooked and served
in flat-bottomed iron or steel pot. To eat it, naan (Indian bread) is used to scoop up the sauce.
- Cock-a-leekie soup - A Scottish soup made from potato, leek and chicken stock.
- Arbroath smokie - Lightly smoked haddock, originally from Arbroath in Scotland.
- Haggis - One of the most famous Scottish traditional dishes, haggis is made using a sheep's heart, liver and lungs (collectively known as the "pluck"), minced (ground), and mixed with oatmeal, onions, suet, spices and stock, and then boiled in the sheep's stomach.
- Mince and tatties - Minced (ground) beef and mashed potatoes.
- Welsh rarebit (sometimes called "Welsh rabbit") - Grated cheese mixed with beer, milk and butter, and then spread on toast and grilled (broiled).
- Bakewell tart - A traditional English pudding, consisting of a pastry shell, filled with jam
(fruit preserve) and a sponge-like filling.
- Spotted dick - A steamed pudding containing dried fruit and raisins. Often served with custard.
On this page, you'll find a great selection of British Cook Books.
By Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Ten Speed Press
Hardcover (448 pages)
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First published in the United Kingdom in 2001, THE RIVER COTTAGE COOKBOOK quickly became a hit among food cognoscenti around the world. Now tailored for American cooks, this authoritative and animated ode to eating well is one part manifesto and one part guidebook for choosing and storing food grown in the garden, butchered from prize animals, or foraged or caught locally. Fearnley-Whittingstall writes with humor, wit, and clarity, bringing American readers what his legions of British fans have enthusiastically embraced: the best techniques and recipes for getting the most out of simple, superior food, while supporting the environment, vibrant local economies, and resourceful use of plants and animals. |
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By Simon Hopkinson
Hyperion
Released: 2007-09-04
Hardcover (240 pages)
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"Good cooking depends on two things: common sense and good taste."In England, no food writer's star shines brighter than Simon Hopkinson's, whose breakthrough Roast Chicken and Other Stories was voted the most useful cookbook ever by a panel of chefs, food writers, and consumers. At last, American cooks can enjoy endearing stories from the highly acclaimed food writer and his simple yet elegant recipes. In this richly satisfying culinary narrative, Hopkinson shares his unique philosophy on the limitless possibilities of cooking. With its friendly tone backed by the author's impeccable expertise, this cookbook can help anyone -- from the novice cook to the experienced chef -- prepare down-right delicious cuisine . . . and enjoy every minute of it! Irresistible recipes in this book include: Eggs Florentine Chocolate Tart Poached Salmon with Beurre BlancAnd, of course, the book's namesake recipe, Roast Chicken Winner of both the 1994 Andr+ Simon and 1995 Glenfiddich awards (the gastronomic world's equivalent to an Oscar), this acclaimed book will inspire anyone who enjoys sharing the ideas of a truly creative cook and delights in getting the best out of good ingredients. |
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By Neil Simpson
John Blake
Paperback (288 pages)
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He has changed the way Britain eats, has cooked for prime ministers, has thrown Hollywood actresses out of his restaurants, is one of only three chefs in England whose restaurant is rated at three Michelin stars, and is on record for swearing more times in a single hour of prime-time television than anyone in the history of British broadcasting. Better known in the United States as the host of FOX's Hell's Kitchen, this former professional soccer player is one of the most driven, successful, and angry chefs around, and this first major biography details his story. Nothing is off-limits when Ramsay talks. He discusses the violent, alcoholic, absent father who died just days after the pair had been reconciled as adults; the best friend and protégé whose bizarre suicide came hours after the two had shared a final meal; the decade-long battle to save his younger brother from heroin addiction and crime; and the real reason why Ramsay wasn't at the birth of any of his four children—and has never changed a diaper in his life. Sometimes hilarious and frequently heartbreaking, Gordon Ramsay's inspiring tale runs from the low-income housing of Glasgow to the picture-postcard countryside of Stratford-upon-Avon to some of the finest and most expensive restaurants in the world.
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By Heston Blumenthal
Bloomsbury USA
Released: 2006-10-31
Hardcover (304 pages)
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Fish and chips; roast chicken; spaghetti bolognese; steak and salad; pizza; sausages and mashed potatoes; black forest cake; and treacle tart and ice cream: all as good as they can possibly be. With this book, a tie-in to the BBC series of the same name, Michelin three-star winner Heston Blumenthal delivers the absolute last word in how to cook these timeless dishes. He looks at the origin of the dishes, how to find the best ingredients (in America as well as in the UK) and what to look for, and, of course, how to cook them to perfection. Along the way, readers are treated to priceless culinary lessons: everything from how to cut potatoes for flawless frying to where to find the choicest beef to the two secret ingredients in spaghetti Bolognese (nutmeg and cream!). Lavishly illustrated with gorgeous photos, and including “perfect” recipes for each dish, this unrivaled book deserves a place as a staple in every cook’s home. |
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By Helen Simpson
William Morrow Cookbooks
Released: 1986-10-25
Hardcover (64 pages)
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Afternoon tea is the english meal-time institution, a social as well as a culinary event. It is precisely this atmosphere which is embodied in the Palm Court Tearoom at the Ritz in London, which for many years has been one of the most delightful and traditional places to take tea. The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea captures the essence of this traditional British occasion and provides the reader with all the Ritz expertize in the ceremony as well as over 50 recipes, illustrated with passages from Dickens to Oscar Wilde and charming drawings. |
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By Fergus Henderson
Bloomsbury USA
Released: 2007-10-02
Hardcover (240 pages)
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From the proprietor of St. John Restaurant, which won the 2001 Moët & Chandon Restaurant Award, comes this fascinating, cutting-edge guide to preparing carnivorous dishes.
Written in the same entertaining and accessible voice that made Nose to Tail Eating a certified foodie classic, this beautiful new collection of recipes by Fergus Henderson teaches you everything you’ll ever need to know to prepare even more mouthwatering, offal classics, from pork scratching, fennel and ox tongue soup, and pressed pig’s ear to sourdough loaves and lardy cakes, chocolate baked Alaska, burnt sheep’s milk yogurt and goat’s curd cheesecake, among others. While taking you through more than a hundred simple, easy-to-follow recipes, Henderson explains why nearly every part of every animal we eat is a delicious treat waiting for the hands of a patient cook to prepare it. |
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By Heidi Swanson
Harry N. Abrams
Hardcover (192 pages)
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For the beginner cook, cookbooks are often overwhelming, loaded with complex recipes, extensive lists of exotic ingredients, and long preparation times. Heidi Swanson-photographer, designer, and passionate home cook-understands. In Cook 1.0, she combines her love of fresh, simple vegetarian fare with her creative know-how to create full-flavored recipes that take less than an hour to make.
Completely original in its approach to the kitchen, Cook 1.0 features 40 basic recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes, sides, desserts, and drinks, and then provides easy-to-read tables to show delicious, inventive ways to build on them. The scrumptious variations include Pumpkin, Mint, and Ricotta Pizza; Creamy Mushroom Pot Pie; Apricot Summer Tart with Macadamia Shortbread Crust; and Ice-Cold Blueberry Lemonade. These delicious, flavorful recipes will appeal to vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. Swanson's unique mix-and-match strategy allows the home cook to personalize recipes according to family preferences, seasonal produce, and, perhaps most important, available time. Cook 1.0 also features gorgeous food photography taken by the author. For the modern kitchen novice, it's the perfect operating system. AUTHOR BIO: HEIDI SWANSON founded ChickClick.com in 1997. The site became one of the most trafficked female networks on the Internet; as a result, Swanson was profiled in such national publications as USA Today, Fast Company, Entertainment Weekly, and The Wall Street Journal. Swanson is an enthusiastic, self-taught home cook with a fresh, contemporary perspective on how to approach basic vegetarian cooking.
ART SMITH is the personal chef to Oprah Winfrey and author of the best-selling Back to the Table. He contributes frequently to O magazine. |
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By Margaret Johnson
Chronicle Books
Paperback (224 pages)
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Talk about the luck of the Irish! One of the most beloved of Irish institutions (there are more than one thousand in Dublin alone), the traditional pub has served generations as the venue for local gossip, sporting news, a ceilidh or two, literary soirees, real estate deals, political debates, revolutionary plots, and, lest we forget, for knocking back a pint of Guinness or a "ball of malt." The food's not bad either as The Irish Pub Cookbook so deliciously demonstrates. It's a celebration of over 70 pub classics: thick soups and stews; savory tarts and meaty pies; big bowls of salad (times change!); and desserts of the seconds-are-always-appropriate variety. There's shepherd's pie, fish and chips, seafood chowder, and whiskey bread pudding for those with a taste for the quintessential. Contemporary specialties such as Bacon, Blue Cheese, and Courgette Soup; Salmon Cakes with Dill and Wine Sauce; Braised Lambshanks with Red Currants; and White Chocolate Terrine spotlight modern Irish cooking's richly deserved acclaim. Complete with pub photos, history, and lore, nobody leaves hungry when The Irish Pub Cookbook is in the kitchen. |
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By Anne Chotzinoff Grossman & Patrick O'Brian
W. W. Norton & Company
Paperback (336 pages)
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Animal lovers, relax--"Spotted Dog" is a kind of pudding, not a dalmatian. It is also the favorite pudding of Jack Aubrey, the fictional creation of writer Patrick O'Brian. Aubrey's adventures as an officer of the British Navy--and those of his friend and ship's surgeon Stephen Maturin--during the tumultuous years of the Napoleonic Wars have been masterfully detailed in O'Brian's many novels; now Anne Chotzinoff Grossman and her daughter, Lisa Grossman, take readers on a culinary adventure through the kitchens and cuisine of the early 19th century. Since food figures prominently in O'Brian's novels, his fans will already be familiar with such names as Skillygalee, Drowned Baby, Soused Hog's Face, and Jam Roly-Poly, but they may wonder exactly what those dishes are. Lobscouse and Spotted Dog makes it all clear: Skillygalee, for example, is oatmeal gruel, while Drowned Baby is similar to Spotted Dog, only without the currants and eggs. And Spotted Dog is...? You'll find the recipe in the Grossmans' book, along with excerpts from the Aubrey/Maturin novels and many other authentic 19th-century dishes to test your sense of adventure, your culinary prowess, and possibly your waistline. Lobscouse and Spotted Dog is more than a cookbook--it's a window into the past, an inspired piece of culinary detective work, and a delightful gastronomic companion to the novels of Patrick O'Brian. |
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By Joanne Asala
Llewellyn Publications
Paperback (375 pages)
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Sabbats, festivals, and informal gatherings all have something in common--food. But choosing the right food for the occasion can be difficult. Celtic Folklore Cooking takes the guesswork out of planning a feast, with plenty of sumptuous ideas for an entire meal, from soup to dessert and even drinks to accompany your food. (Consider baked trout for Beltaine or Lammas cookies for Lughnasadh.) Joanne Asala gathers generations-old recipes from Wales, Cornwall, Scotland, Ireland, and England, associates them with appropriate festivals and times of the year, then sprinkles a dash of folklore between them. Perhaps you would like to learn the 400-year-old "Song of Harvest Home" while making Marigold Buns. Celtic Folklore Cooking is like having centuries of Celtic tradition in your kitchen, and it will help you find just the right flavor for your festivities. --Brian Patterson |
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