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Britain - British Cuisine

British cuisine has a bad reputation in the international culinary world. Many call it bland, simple, and boring leaving no choice but to splash many dishes with the popular bottled brown sauce. Although this can be true in many cases, the simplicity that accompanies many foods can also classify them as comforting. Root vegetables, seafood, beef, liver, sausages, cheese, and bread play are large role throughout native British cuisine.
Clotted Cream

2 Cups Heavy Cream

Directions:

Pour cream into a shallow pan. Heat the pan, gently, to about 82C (180F) and hold at this temperature for approximately 1 hour. When the surface cream has developed a thick, rich, yellow wrinkled crust, Turn off the heat and allow the pans to cool slowly.
Once cold, skim the cream off and serve with scones, fruit or fruit pies.

 
English Crumpets

7 1/8 ounces Strong white flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
3/8 cup Milk
2 1/8 teaspoons Dried yeast
1 pn Bicarb of Soda
Fat for frying  Strong white flour is the type bakers use for bread dough. High in gluten in makes a good risen batter or dough. In England we have 'Crumpet Rings' which are metal, about 3" in diameter. These are placed into a fry pan and act as moulds while the crumpet cooks. Crumpets can be anywhere between 2"and 5" in diameter.

 
Christmas Pudding

I lb of each: raisins, currants, golden raisins, breadcrumbs, brown sugar
8oz Suet
4oz each: Mixed peel, glace cherries chopped, almonds chopped
1 each: Lemon - grate rind, orange - grate rind, carrot - grated, apple - grated
1 tbs Flour
1 tsp mixed spice
Pinch salt
6-8 Eggs
10oz stout (bottle) or dark beer (Guiness is good)
OR 5 ozs each brandy & milk.
Directions: Mix dry ingredients first then mix with lightly beaten eggs & liquid. Grease the bottom of a bowl large enough to hold pudding and press mixture into it. Place wax paper over the top and then foil over that, crimping it around the edges to keep firm. Either cook for 2 hours in pressure cooker with about 2 inches water or put in pan with water on stove for 4 hours. Keep checking water in pan to prevent burning. Store well wrapped for as long as possible for better flavor. Some people make them one year to eat the next. Donated by sister Margaret Hawksley Serve with hot custard, cream, or brandy sauce.

 
Spotted Dick

4 ounces plain flour
4 ounces suet
4 ounces raisins
water, to mix
Mix the flour, currants and grated suet (it should have the general consistency of mouse droppings) very lightly by hand. Moisten with a couple of tablespoons of cold water, enough to give a dryish pastry texture. Stir to bind the ingredients together. The mixture can be put into a buttered basin and covered with first a layer of foil, then a cloth (tied on with string), but the usual way is to make a thick roll shape, and wrap it in buttered greaseproof (waxed?) paper, and tie into a cloth.

Boil in a lot of water for two to three hours on top of the stove, or all day if using a crock pot.

To serve, slice it into 1" thick chunks while still hot.

Some people serve it with egg custard, but others consider serving spotted dick with moist brown sugar and a large spoonful of salted butter a must. Use both if you like.

 
Spotted Dog

8 oz Self-raising flour
1 pn Salt
4 oz Shredded suet
1 oz Sugar
8 oz Currants or raisins
150 ml Cold water

Stir together the flour, salt, sugar, suet and dried fruit. Mix to a firm dough with water. Form into a cylinder about 8 inches long, and put on a pudding cloth that has been wrung out in boiling water and sprinkled with flour. Roll the pudding in the cloth and tie the ends tightly, but leave room for expansion. Put into a pan of boiling water, cover, and boil for 2 hours, adding more boiling water if necessary to prevent boiling dry. Turn the pudding onto a hot dish and serve with custard.

 
Yorkshire Pudding

1/2 lb of plain white flour
1 pint of full cream milk

1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 good tablespoons of
dripping from the beef ,2 eggs
Method
Sift the salt and the flour into a large bowl or basin. Make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Add a small amount of milk and stir in the flour. This should be a gradual process bringing the flour down from the sides and adding more milk as is nessesary.
You should end up with a stiff batter consistancy. Beat this well for about 5 minutes adding the rest of the milk. Cover and leave to stand for 30 minutes. Put the dripping into a large Yorkshire pudding tin. Heat this in the oven until the dripping is hot, as in smoking hot. Quickly pour the batter in minding for hot splashes of dripping and place in the top of the oven. 425 F. or gas mark 7 until it is nicely browned on the top. Turn down the heat to 375 F. or gas mark 5 and continue cooking on the bottom of the oven for 10 - 15 mins. Serve with a good onion gravy.

 
 

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