Tomorrow marks one year since I began "The British Chef. So, I thought it only fitting to go back to the beginning and re-post my first ever food blog...The English Breakfast!!! It is how any Englishman should start the day. It is so simple and so scrumptious. Some people refer to it as a "heart attack on a plate". They are right in the aspect that it is all fried up in a skillet. The slang term for it is a "fry-up". You start out with frying up some bacon and sausages in a skillet. You then add some Black Pudding. For those who don't know, black pudding is a sausage made from coagulated pig's blood mixed with herbs and spices. When you cook it it turns black, hence the name. You also fry up some tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes and eggs. All of this is also served with some good old Baked Beans. The common brand is Heinz. It is hard to get Heinz Baked Beans here in the US. You can however find them online and at some specialty food stores. Once all this is done, you then make fried bread. Just take some sliced bread and brown it in the pan drippings. It is then all served up with some tea, and a bottle of HP Brown Sauce. It is delicious not only at breakfast but at any time of day. If you would like to find some of these products online, I would suggest the British Food Depot. They have everything from sausages and black pudding to HP Sauce and Baked Beans. Click on the link below to go to their site. Cheers!!
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Probably one of the best things to make on a cold winter night. It is sweet, spicy, and full of flavor. Next to cream of crab soup, this is my favorite soup to make. It is hearty enough to be a complete dinner by itself, but just enough to have as a small cup with your lunch. It has all of the usual ingredients you would associate with chili: beef, peppers, onions, beans, and tomatoes. You start by browning the beef then the peppers and onions. Then, you add diced and crushed tomatoes along with beef stock and vegetable juice such as V8. Now, the crucial part is adding the spices. Among others they include chili powder, paprika, and cumin. These give the essential chili flavor. When it comes to the spicy factor, my teacher and friends like to turn your mouths into lava. I like a noticeable heat but not knock your lights out hot. I add a little cayenne pepper and Frank's Red Hot sauce. It is up to you if you want to add more spice to it. The next part is the sweetness. I add chocolate chips and brown sugar. The chocolate adds flavor to the chili without giving it a chocolate taste. The brown sugar gives a nice sweet taste and cuts through the harshness of the heat. Then, you simply add the beans and simmer for about an hour to allow all of the flavors to meld. All you then have to do is serves some up with a dollop of sour cream and a nice big pile of sharp cheddar cheese. I like to crumble in some saltine crackers. But again it is all up to you. If you are looking for a chili recipe that will knock the socks off of your guests or possibly win a prize, then this is the one for you. This recipe can also be found on page 29 of my cookbook above. Bon Appetit!
This dish is both comforting and high-class. I absolutely love it. Ina Garten certainly knows how to take classic flavors and put them to a new/old comfort dish. She took the classic flavors of Beef Borguignon(wine, garlic, herbs) and paired them with a good old fashioned pot roast. The result is a delicious yet elegant meal that will easily serve 6 people. I think the best part is the leftovers. When I first made this, I made it for a few of my family members. Most of it was gone, but there was enough for me to reheat the next day. I am so glad there was, because it was just as, if not more delicious the next day. When it comes to side dishes, she chose to add a baked potato with sour cream and yoghurt. Those are absolutely delicious, but I am partial to herb roasted potatoes. However, if you are on a time schedule, you can of course opt for the baked potatoes which are less strenuous. Bottom line is that this is another Ina Garten specialty that I will always promote. Bon Appetit!
This is the first recipe I made from Julia Child's "The Way to Cook" cookbook. Although I have to admit I was a little bit overwhelmed by the length of the recipe. So I re-wrote the recipe with far less steps and ingredients. I think it is better the way I have written it. As some of my culinary friends can tell you is that simpler can be better. Not to knock Julia Child of course, I still love her recipes and books. It has all of the best ingredients beef, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, and wine. If you look at it, it is a fast and thicker version of Beef Borguignon. You basically saute all of the elements in the same pan, but separately and at the end you make the sauce in that pan and add everything back to it. What you are left with is a stew-like meal. It is quick,delicious, and reliable! Bon Appetit!
I think aside from Fish and Chips, if you were to ask an American to name another classic British dish they would say Shepherd's Pie. This is a go to meal to make if you want to have a one dish meal. We have made this a many number of times for lunch at Allegany College of MD. Originally designed as the poor man’s dish in the late 18th century in Britain, the Shepherd’s Pie or Cottage Pie is one of the greatest dishes born in Britain. It was designed to incorporate potatoes into every meal. It was an option when food was scarce. This is my recipe made American style with peppers and cheese! You start out by making mashed potatoes. The recipe comes with a method for mashed potatoes, but you can make them any way you want. Just make sure you don't make them too liquidy. Once it bakes with the meat mixture it will thin out. You then make the meat filling. Brown your ground beef, and then saute your vegetables. You thicken it by adding flour. Then you add beef stock, cream or milk and your seasonings. Once thickened, you pour this mixture into a baking dish. You spread your mashed potatoes on top. Cover with foil and let it bake for 20-25 minutes. Then, you remove the foil and top with cheddar cheese and let it melt under the broiler for a minute. Normally the British don't put cheese on it, but when in America, where anything is better with melted cheese, I had to do it. You then can serve it plain as is, but I like to eat it with a nice drizzle of HP Brown Sauce. If you are in need of a simple dish, this is perfect for you. Bon Appetit!
I first discovered this dish while watching one of my favorite shows, the classic British Romantic Comedy "As Time Goes By" starring Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer. Judi's character Jean makes this dish on the first night Geoffrey's character Lionel moves in with her. After laughing at the hilarity of the episode, I decided to research the recipe further. I was led to learn that it is in Julia Child's first book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It is just a fancy name for Beef and Onions Brasied in Beer. You brown the beef in a dutch oven or flameproof casserole. You then brown the onions. Then you add beef stock, beer, and flavorings. You then bake it in an oven. After it has cooked, you strain out the sauce and thicken it. After making Beef Borguignon a couple of times at my school, I wanted to try something else. My friends loved it. As a side dish I would suggest some roasted potatoes or some kind of starch. Bon Appetit!
On a nice overcast day like today, there is nothing better than making a nice big batch of hearty soup. One soup I think is so delicious and yet so simple is a classic Italian Wedding Soup. It has all of the great comforts. It has he classic trio of vegetables (celery, carrots, and onions), spinach, cheese, meatballs,and pasta. It is a whole meal in itself. I love making this because it is easy as can be and all you have to do is grab a big bowl of it, curl up on the couch and watch a great movie. If you need a quick meal that is relatively stress free, this is a great go to recipe. A good way to take more stress out of it, you can use a really good brand of frozen meatballs. But, of course the best way is to make your own. Bon Appetit!
This is without a doubt, my all time favorite dish I have ever made and eaten. Ever since I saw the movie "Julie and Julia" and watched Julia Child make it on her first television show, I knew I was hooked. To the French this is a peasant dish, but to me its the best dish ever invented. I make this when ever I can. I have made it at least 4 or 5 times for all of my friends for lunch at school. When you have made it for 35 people it gets easier to make a single batch of the recipe. It is so simple (after the first time making it) and yet so divine. It is a beef stew with Red Wine, Bacon, Carrots, Mushrooms, and braised onions (which are cooked separately and added later). In the original Julia Child recipe you use a good red wine. But unfortunately for me, you have to be 21 to buy wine, so I have discovered cooking wine is sold in most grocery stores and you don't have to be 21 to buy it. It is a mix of different blends of wines with salt already added. The brand I use is Holland House. They make red, white, Marsala,and sherry cooking wines. Most chefs will probably call for my execution for this, but I prefer to use this cooking wine when making this because, I have found that the salt level and flavor of the dish is spot on every time because the wine has salt already in it. That way I don't have to worry about adding salt to it. But you can of course use a good red wine from your local liquor store. That is just my personal preference. The actual cooking of the dish is relatively simple. As I said above, it gets easier each time you make it. I could now make it in my sleep. You start out by rendering bacon lardons in a dutch oven or oven safe casserole. Remove the bacon and brown the stew meat in the bacon fat. Remove the meat and saute the carrots in the fat. Return everything to the pot and add your wine, beef stock, and herbs and seasonings. Cover and place in a preheated oven. When meat is cooked about 2 hours later. Strain the sauce into another saucepan. Place sauce over moderate heat and thicken it. You correct seasoning if you need. You then add back the meat and carrots. What I recommend now is to let it cool, cover it, and refrigerate overnight or a day or two. The stew gains in flavor the longer it sits. You then just have to reheat it slowly. Once reheated or ready to serve, you add your braised onions and sauteed mushrooms. You don't add the mushrooms until just before serving, otherwise they will sort of dissolve. It is now ready to serve. When it comes to serving it, the traditional way to serve it is over rice or buttered noodles. I personally view this as a cheap way to serve it and is a waste of such a delicious dish. I like to make some herb roasted potatoes and serve the stew over this. I feel if you are making a rich and gourmet dish like this, don't serve it over something healthy and boring like rice. But again, it is up to you how you wish to serve it. As a matter of fact you don't have to serve it over anything. For example, on the day after eating it, I just eat the leftovers in a bowl with a chunk of french bread. If you make this dish and you say you don't care for it, you obviously have no taste for good food whatsoever. I will warn you, the cost for this dish is around $30-40 for all of the meat and veggies and spices. It is for special occasions. They way I feel, I would have this every week if I could. So please make this as fast as you can. The recipe for the Beouf Borguignon, braised onion and Sauteed Mushrooms is below. As Julia Child says..."Bon Appetit"!
For a quick yet elegant steak dinner, turn to a delicious Steak au Poivre. It is a very popular French steak dish. It is a steak of your choice, yet I would prefer a filet mignon steak. You coat it in roughly cracked peppercorns. The longer you let it sit, the better flavor the steak will have. You then sear it on each side for about 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked to your desired done-ness. You then make a sauce from the pan drippings. You saute some minced shallots or onions. Then, degrease the pan with beef stock and French Cognac. Be careful when you pour the cognac. Turn the flame or heat down or off to prevent flare ups. After you boil it for a few minutes, you swirl in some butter to give the sauce a little bit of body. You then serve this sauce over the steaks. For a side dish, I would suggest some sort of potatoes. A classic would be some matchstick fried potatoes. They are excellent with the sauce.
On such a wonderful sunny day with a nice breeze, what could be better than a good Ploughman's Lunch. Its good in a nice corner of a London park or right in your back yard right here in the good old USA. This dish is a traditional composed meal that was taken into the fields of the hard working ploughmen. It was a quick bite to have on the go. It is just a mixture of meats, breads, fruits and or vegetables. This is served with a variety of condiments. I will give you a list of all the different items for a great Ploughman's Lunch.
The great thing about this is you don't have to have everything on the list. You can have just an apple and some cheese and bread, or whatever you happen to have in your fridge. For a complete recipe, click on the picture below. Bon Appetit! |
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