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Post by toonia on Sept 23, 2006 17:35:48 GMT
As you know, food is an obsession here in France and every time we have people for dinner I worry for days what to give them.
The big problem is they believe that only the French know how to eat and cook and that the Brits live on "boiled meat and jam".
I always try to make at least one English course and my biggest successes have been chocolate bread and butter pudding (Delia's) crumble, and roast potatoes! The disasters have been Christmas pud, mince pies and mint sauce (not together!)
Just for fun, what menu would you make to show "the best of Britain"? bearing in mind no really British ingredient is available here -I have my stash of Oxo, Marmite, Branny etc. but the most difficult ingredient I find to substitute is double cream (creme fraiche doesn't really do it)
You don't have to give recipes, just the dishes for a three course meal!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2006 18:15:37 GMT
Starter: Stilton and pears with a little green salad with a dressing of walnut oil and pear vinegar (with a smidgin of honey), served with walnut bread. Ths pears should be really ripe, peeled and sliced, and the stilton in slices, on the pears then flash grilled until the stilton just melts. (maybe you could substitute any good blue cheese). Main: Guinnea fowl, with apricot suffing or venison with blackberries. Pud: Summer pudding but made with brioche (I always make mine with brioche - much scrummier) Dark chocolate tart with coffee bean sauce. (with chocolate pastry) Bugger! hungry now  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2006 18:18:56 GMT
Starter: Stilton and pears with a little green salad with a dressing of walnut oil and pear vinegar (with a smidgin of honey), served with walnut bread. Ths pears should be really ripe, peeled and sliced, and the stilton in slices, on the pears then flash grilled until the stilton just melts. (maybe you could substitute any good blue cheese). Main: Guinnea fowl, with apricot suffing or venison with blackberries. Pud: Summer pudding but made with brioche (I always make mine with brioche - much scrummier) Dark chocolate tart with coffee bean sauce. (with chocolate pastry) or maybe apple pie, use bramleys and cook to a thick puree, sweeten and add cinnamon, then add a layer of sliced dessert apples, and a good sprinkle of demerera sugar on top and Vanilla Ice cream Bugger! hungry now |
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 23, 2006 18:30:48 GMT
Oh toonia - can't you get double cream either - neither can I - can't get single cream, only whipping cream. I do have my stock of Marmite, cornflour, cream crackers etc. 3 of us here bring each other things back when we go over.
I am just waiting for some English cheese - thank heavens that OH doesn't like it... my mouth waters when I think of English cheese. I always freeze some and leave it until Xmas and have it just for myself. Bit crumbly but I don't care - it is a bit of England.
As far as 3 course meal is concerned - will have to think about that. Tomorrow is pork fillet, wrapped in bacon (the equivalent of here) with mushrooms, onions, cream and loads of black pepper and ... whatever I think of..... OK
Rosefriend
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 23, 2006 19:48:10 GMT
OK - just had a thought. Main course I would go for lamb - for the simple reason if can be got and the mint sauce can be made. Leg of Lamb with S/P and Rosemary.?? Roast potatoes and veg in season.
Starters - don't know - shrimp cocktail, smoked trout and small salad.
Dessert - peach crumble and custard/cream, fresh fruit salad, and cheese and biscuits, coffee and brandy.
How does that sound.
Rosefriend
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Post by Dr Bill on Sept 23, 2006 21:35:20 GMT
You can't get much more British than beef, so how about Beef Wellington?
And for a delicious soup, try a Scottish dish, Cullen Skink with some nice crusty country bread
For dessert Apple crumble and custard - can't be beaten
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Post by toonia on Sept 23, 2006 21:43:19 GMT
I said you didn't have to give the recipes but Cullen Skink...
Don't know that one doc!
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Post by jlottie on Sept 23, 2006 22:31:03 GMT
Toonia
Definately a roast, when I lived in Belgium we had Danish, Italian and Dutch friends that we used to eat with and the roasts always went down well especially the roast potatoes & yorkshire puds. Maybe with a selection of roasted veg (parsnips drizzled in honey) and leeks in a cheese sauce, but I would steer clear of the mushy peas. Mixed Autumn fruit (blackberries and Rasberries) with apple crumble and creme fraiche is wonderful.( I use crushed digestive biscuits and butter in my crumbles topped with demerara sugar) My mother had a french student who stayed one summer and his brother the year after and they both loved the mixed fruit crumbles.
I could never get bisto and had to make do with roti sauce, not the same.
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Post by anneliesje on Sept 24, 2006 9:26:51 GMT
Why is my mouth watering?  I feel like Pavlov's Dog! Now I know NOTHING from the British Cuisine, being belgian of course. But I remember one of my british colleagues brought once for Christmas Minced pies and spotted dicks   , it wasn't liked that much. sorry On the other hand, my whole family (5) LOVES full English breakfasts and lamb. But I never tasted custard (or what is the name of this yellow sauce) before, and It really looks yummie, so I'm looking forward to try it. And I love these bright green peas! I have several cookbooks by british cooks (Jamie and Nigella Lawson) and I sometimes get confronted with ingredients I never heard off before. But the recipes I tried where always very good! Good cooking! Anneliesje |
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Post by toonia on Sept 24, 2006 9:56:53 GMT
Thanks for playing, keep the ideas coming!
I can see where you're coming from with the Stilton, Dee, but it's unobtainable here. I think all the French should be force-fed it whilst I shout in their ears "YOU SEE? WE CAN DO CHEESE TOO!"
Rosefriend, I've always had nice cream when I've been to Germany (best friend lives in Bad Godesburg). French cream is always sterilised, yuk! And they love that vile Chantilly which comes out of a can. I love going to those coffee and cake shops which are full of terribly respectable German ladies tucking into hot chocolate and huge slices of cake, all topped with lashings of cream!
I've never seen a parsnip here! Or digestive biscuits!
I don't think I'd try Spotted Dick as an introduction to British cooking! Poor Anneliese, did you have to be polite and pretend to like it? Custard is good though! I even like Bird's custard powder!
So far some sort of roast and a crumble seem the popular choices!
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Post by Dr Bill on Sept 24, 2006 14:02:56 GMT
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 24, 2006 14:14:31 GMT
Thanks for playing, keep the ideas coming! Rosefriend, I've always had nice cream when I've been to Germany (best friend lives in Bad Godesburg). French cream is always sterilised, yuk! And they love that vile Chantilly which comes out of a can. I love going to those coffee and cake shops which are full of terribly respectable German ladies tucking into hot chocolate and huge slices of cake, all topped with lashings of cream! I've never seen a parsnip here! Or digestive biscuits! After reading all that - well I can only say that perhaps we are a little better off here. "Respectable German ladies and cake shops" - well I know what you mean - never go in myself as I do not eat cake - don't like anything sweet.!!! The whipping cream here is fresh and some of the cake creations really look fantastic. Chantilly in cans - God forbid - no thanks - good bottle of White wine - dryish - yes please. Booze is of course cheap here. Parsnips - yes I can get them - not too often though - only live in a small village. Digestive biscuits - think I may have seen them - again only buy sweet things for OH. Obviously I have more choice in one of the bigger towns. Rosefriend |
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Post by toonia on Sept 24, 2006 15:27:51 GMT
Mmm! Cullen Skink looks good and the French would prefer something Scottish! And it could be made in advance so will be added to my repertoire. I can't wait to hear them try to pronounce it too!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2006 8:33:52 GMT
A Roast Rib of Beef would be my suggestion for main course, can you get hold of horseradish because that's rather nice if you smear it over the fat before you roast it - are the French familiar with horseradish? The Rib would look pretty impressive too!!! And I'd serve Yorkshire Puddings with it, I'm sure they wouldn't know what to make of them!!
BTW I've made Cullen Skink and can recommend it. Theres a Scottish recipe for a dessert with raspberries, cream, oats and whisky I believe but I can't remember it's name, I'll have a look on the Beebs website and post agian if I find it!!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2006 8:50:06 GMT
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Post by toonia on Sept 25, 2006 8:54:49 GMT
Yes, I can get horseradish. Well, I have stock from the UK although there is a very mild one sold in the supermarkets which is made in Germany! They couldn't call that "jam" anyway!
I tried making Yorkshires once but something went wrong and the friends' dog had them with some gravy as his share!
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Post by toonia on Sept 25, 2006 8:59:16 GMT
Or Marscapone? That well known Scottish cream cheese!!! We get local raspberries too, there's a forest up a mountain where they grow wild. In fact, some people say the landscape's a bit like Scotland here, except for my Scottish friend!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2006 9:11:00 GMT
Wild Raspberries - how lovely
The trick to making good Yorkshires is to let the mixture rest a while when you've made it, whisk it up a few times to add more air and cook it in really hot fat ( I say fat because veg oil just wouldn't work, you need beef dripping or duck/goose fat ). Of course in Yorkshire where I live they have the pudding with onion gravy as a starter.....not that that would impress the french!!!
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Post by toonia on Sept 25, 2006 10:06:37 GMT
I don't know, they don't like mixing everything up on a plate in the same way we do. They often have their meat first and then spuds and then if they're REALLY hungry, some token veg!
I subsequently followed a Delia recipe for Yorkshires and they came out perfectly! She is always reliable and very reassuring!
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Post by obelixx on Sept 25, 2006 11:45:00 GMT
When I feed the Belgians I do British dishes and vice versa.
I also used to run an Itnernational cookery group and so researched old British classics to cook for them. Can you get stem ginger in syrup? Ginger biscuits? I have some good recipes.
I use Elbot Fumé for any dish requiring smoked haddock and can sometimes find fresh cream but usually end up using UHT whose flavour is improved with a packet of vanilla sugar or a slurp of suitable alcohol such as cointreau for puds or sherry for mains.
For warm days I might do potted shrimps (crevettes grises) with crusty bread followed by chicken with orange and then something like pavlova beacuse the Belgians love but don't do chewy meringue. They also love banoffie pie, chocolate rum and raisin tart, crumbles, bread and butter pudding, sticky toffee pudding, spiced plums with vanilla cream terrine.......
They love slow roast shoulder of lamb in a bottle of wine with root veggies, Dartmouth pie (beef, mutton or venison stewed with dried fruits and spices then topped with pastry), pork fillet with caraway........
For winter starters I've done Palestine soup with Jerusalem artichokes, my own fat free tomato orange and ginger soup, mushroom paté, smoked mackerel paté....
Here are some sample menus from when I kept records:-
PALESTINE SOUP, CASSEROLE OF VENISON WITH PORT & GUINNESS, LEMON CHEESECAKE
Fresh Tomato and Mint Soup, Tarragon Chicken in a Lime and Sour Cream Sauce, Eton Mess
Arbroath Smokie puddings with foaming hollandaise (Delia), Lamb fillet with garlic sauce, Walnut and citrus tart
Potted shrimps, Cod fillet with Spicy Chickpeas, Rhubarb and Ginger Beer Jellies
Bon appetit.
Feel free to remind the locals that in blind wine tastings English champagne is often judged better than French, that English black puddings have been known to beat the locals in Normandy pud contests and that in blind tastings, British chefs have also wond championships in Paris. Unfortunately, that excellence doesn't extend to the local café in the same way as in Belgium or France but you can't have everything.
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Post by toonia on Sept 25, 2006 12:24:16 GMT
Obby, you could enhance the reputation of British food all on your own!
Can I have the lamb in wine recipe? That would go down well.
So many French people had bad experiences when they stayed with familes on exchange visits and were fed on fish fingers and lime jelly! I think British cookery has improved enormously, we've always been good at home cooking and baking but the food in restaurants, pubs etc. has got better and better.
As the French have always had their classic style they haven't been as open to influences from other cultures so haven't experimented with as many ingredients as the Brits. One friend said she liked the "sauce anglaise" I'd put on a salad. it was balsamic vinegar!
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 25, 2006 14:14:34 GMT
Sorry , sorry - but a "girlfriend - 82 years" has just come back from England and Scotland and brought me some English cheese, and my OH is not getting a look in.
If there is one thing that I soooooo miss it is English cheese. Her OH has just walked in with Baked Beans --- just found out that my OH wanted them - oh well each to their own.
Oh Toonia btw - Yorkshire Puds here, - well forget them, - the fat and the flour are different. Awful stodgy things if I ever do - which I don't, anymore.
Sorry about the cheese though.....
Rosefriend
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Post by obelixx on Sept 25, 2006 15:27:57 GMT
Here we go Toonia. Measurements approx as I no longer have the original recipe. I can't often find shoulder of lamb nearby and they tend to be smallish and boned so sometimes I need two. However, it's easy enough to multiply the ingredients as they're not precise like for a cake. I also cheat and use frozen "brunoise" instead of finely chopping onions leeks and carrots for sauce or casserole bases.
Heat the oven to 140C.
1 large or two small shoulders of lamb seared on all sides till brown then removed to a casserole.
1 onion, 1 large carrot and 1 stick of celery, finely chopped, or a few tbs of frozen brunoise gently browned in the same pan then added to the casserole with a good sprig of rosemary, 500ml white wine and 2 litres of chicken or game stock.
Bring to the boil then bake in oven for 1 to 2 hours depending on size of meat.
Remove meat and keep warm. Strain the sauce and reduce it by half. Return the meat to the casserole with some carrots, cleaned and sliced, some baby turnips and some sliced leeks. Cook for a further 30 mins or until the veggies are done.
Check the sauce for seasoning and thicken, if needed, with cornflour or beurre manié. Serve the meat thickly sliced with mashed or baked potatoes to soak up the juices. If you prefer, the veggies can be steamed separately so they look a bit more elegant. The sauce already has their flavour from the brunoise.
***********
We have cheesemongers here who do English cheeses but it means trekking to a market and having endless discussions about what goes with what. My favourite is still a mature cheddar and I find that Vieux Bruges is very close in taste and texture. I can go to the British supermarket if I desperately need some double Gloucester, Lancashire, Yarg etc but they're pricey. We can get Stilton in some supermarkets and friends always bring OH a 3" thick slice from a whole cheese when they come to visit. She used to have her own cheese stall so knows where to get the best.
If you want to wow your friends with a fine nibble to have with drinks, try this which I got from an American friend in my cookery group.
Take one very young, firm camembert and place it in a shallow, ovenproof dish. Scatter it with whole pecans or walnuts to cover and sprinkle with about 1dsp dark brown sugar. Sprinkle liberally with Kahlua, Tia Maria or Amaretto then bake in the oven at 180 for 10 to 15 mins. It should give when you prod it with your finger. Provide a spoon to serve and offer crisp biscuits such as plain TUC to eat it with. I've had people fighting over the last morsel.
It's not good with Brie but you can do 3 camemberts in a larger dish for more people. Just cook a little longer.
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Post by toonia on Sept 25, 2006 17:09:18 GMT
Thank you Obs. When I make it I'll tell them it's "agneau Obelix"!
I've got cheese cravings now! The Auvergne's one claim to gastronomic fame is its cheese -there are 5 AOC ones which is more than any other region! Cantal can almost taste like cheddar if you close your eyes. Sadly both the neighbouring farmers have converted from making cheese to meat production. When we first moved here we could go down the lane and buy a huge slab at cost price. The farmer couldn't find a"fromager" to come and make it when his first one retired so sells his milk to a co-operative now.
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Post by obelixx on Sept 25, 2006 19:26:13 GMT
Here's some more ideas to titivate the taste buds. Some for starters and some for mains:-
- Mushroom and Walnut Paté, stuffed cold courgettes, crab and lemongrass quiche, 14th Century haddock pie, salmon custards in smoked salmon, paupiettes of smoked salmon with avocado fromage, salmon and dill darioles, gratin of seafood with garlic crumble, smoked salmon on potato cakes, 14th century turbot poached in wines with anchovy.
My neighbours used to have their own cows and make cheeses butter and yoghurts but about 15 yrs ago the EU passed new rules about hygiene and separate processing areas which would have been too expensive to implement so they sold all their cows and gambled on becoming an equestrian farm. It's worked and they now have a wide range of riding activities, including for the disabled, as well as an archery school and field competition course.
OH is an unrepentant fan of those French cheeses that can get up and walk out of the packaging by themselves. I prefer the hard stuff.
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Post by grannyjanny on Sept 25, 2006 20:54:52 GMT
Anyone living abroad. Have you heard of expatsessentials.com You can get M&S food & allsorts of goodies. My daughter used it when she went to Portugal for a month & she couldn't get her baby milk out there.
Janet.
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Post by anneliesje on Sept 25, 2006 21:49:38 GMT
HELP! This all sounds so yummie! Just to say I don't know that much about english cheese, but we do buy chester every week and when we were in yorkshire we also ate a lot of varieties of that cheese that starts with W (it is famous, from yorkshire, but now of couse I can't remember the name <doh>  ) We didn't like the chocmint though (hotcoco with a mint flavour ) I will print out all these recipes, and try some of them. Anything with lamb! I have a fresh young lamb in the freezer  Pavlov Anneliesje  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2006 22:41:56 GMT
With apologies in advance for a typical cheesey reply..... Annelies - The "Chester" cheese is actually Cheshire, Chester being the county town (provincial city) of the area - well remembered! The "W" will be Wensleydale, as mentioned in the Oscar winning animated Wallace and Gromit film "The Wrong Trousers". If you haven't seen Wallace & Gromit let us know. Both are generally white, crumbly and very mild, but try a "proper" mature one and the flavour get's intense but never strong. Oh and the cheeses are good too Expats & UK dwellers if you want proper UK cheese (though at an eye watering price I know) then I'll make shameless plug for the folks based round corner from me at work who are the best www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk/ Until the Queen Mother died, they were the only business in the UK to hold three royal warrants (mind you the Met Police have a few of those out on me ). If anyone wants me to ask any questions of them I'll be more than happy to pop around. They do ship to Europe/Worldwide (not sure how much they charge though) I confess I'm rather into cheese |
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Post by toonia on Sept 25, 2006 22:49:24 GMT
Chester is a cheese often sold in supermarkets over here, Captain. It's like orange wax and bears no resemblance to any known dairy produce ! I think it's made by Kerrygold.
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Post by Rosefriend on Sept 26, 2006 7:47:27 GMT
Chester - totally agree with you toonia - horrible muck - plastic cheese basically - doesn't taste of anything - doesn't even melt properly.
I will have a look at the other website - thanks for the tips.
Rosefriend
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, it wasn't liked that much. sorry
)
