Tourists often limit themselves to eating at establishments focused on the culinary traditions of other countries and quickly conclude that the local cuisine is simple and lacking in variety. However, the more curious traveler who wonders what food is worth trying in Britain is sure to discover quite a few famous and delicious national dishes.
Some of them may seem simple at first glance but are pretty unusual on closer inspection.
Fish and Chips
The most popular and well-known English dish by far. This typical meal can be found everywhere in the country: from budget cafes and pubs in London too expensive restaurants. It is even called the unofficial national dish.
The famous dish is nothing more than fish and potatoes deep-fried in lard or vegetable oils. The peculiarity of cooking lies in using a special batter made with the addition of English beer or ale.
The traditional recipe features cod, but now the British often replace it with haddock, mint, halibut, and flounder. You can even try an unusual version of fish-and-chips cooked to order in some restaurants – if you choose your favorite type of fish from the offered selection.
Steak and Kidney Pudding
The first mention of this famous national dish dates back to the 19th century. That’s when different variations of this rather traditional British pudding started to appear. Then it was not associated with a dessert dish but was a typical English hearty meal for the ordinary people.
The famous Steak and kidney pudding in England is made from chopped beef chops and pieces of sheep or pork kidneys. Based on kidney fat, the dough is mixed with the meat ingredients, onions, and a small amount of bone broth. The dish is steamed for about 4 hours. Place mashed potatoes, vegetables, and the pudding on a plate. The food is served hot.
Melton Mowbray Pork Pie
The famous Leicestershire pork pie is a traditional English food from the county of Leicestershire, the town of Melton Mowbray.
The dish is officially recognized as a culinary treasure of the region and is prepared according to a strictly defined recipe. There is even a particular organization, Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association, which oversees the production and distribution of this pie.
Melton Mowbray pork pie was a typical meal in the diet of common laborers. Its heartiness and flavor were appreciated, and with minor modifications, the recipe for this famous pie has survived to this day.
The typical filling for Melton Mowbray pork is finely chopped pork wrapped in a dough kneaded with water. The traditional pie is baked without special molds and therefore turns out somewhat irregular and unsightly in appearance. It resembles an onion extended from the bottom.
Toad In The Hole / Sausage Toad
Despite the unusual name, frogs are not part of this typical English meal. It is not known for sure why the country began to call it by that name. Some even speculate that the curious name has to do with the kind of sausages that peek slightly out of the indentations in the dough.
The first mention of this now-famous British dish dates back to the mid-18th century. Toad in the hole was not made with sausages but with meat, including whole hacked pigeons.
Nowadays, Toad in the hole is made by taking pork sausages and baking them in a liquid batter made according to the recipe for Yorkshire pudding. The dish is puffy, light, and quite tasty! It is served with vegetables and onion sauce. It is a typical English fare in the kitchen of any British housewife.
Oxtail Soup
As the name implies, this traditional English food is made from a very unusual by-product. This famous oxtail soup is thought to have been created in the 17th century in London’s East End by people from France and Flanders. They used the ingredients they could financially afford to make the meal.
The process of making the famous soup usually begins a day before serving. The sliced tails are fried, then added to the vegetable broth and simmered for 3 hours. Then the pot is put in the fridge overnight to remove the solidified layer of fat in the morning. The next day, just before eating, the soup is reheated. Sometimes flour mixed with hot broth is added to thicken the soup. Sometimes there are variations of this recipe with sherry or wine.
Oxtail soup is an absolute classic of traditional English cuisine. It is pretty rich and hearty and worth a try. Today, the dish is so prevalent in England that it is available in cans and sold in almost every store.
Sunday Roast
For the English, Sunday roast is more than just a typical and well-known Sunday meal. It is a tradition honored in the country since the 18th century, when people were devout, going to church services and gathering for a family meal afterward.
Sunday roast is a famous English dish, which is served in a complex with several components. The main ingredient is roast meat, most often chicken or lamb, but beef, pork, duck, and turkey are also famous.
Baked potatoes or mashed potatoes and other cooked, baked, or stewed vegetables (carrots, Brussels or cauliflower, green beans, peas) are served with the meat. Often the dish is supplemented with baked parsnips, mashed rutabaga, or turnips.
But the essential ingredient of the traditional Sunday roast, without which there is no point in trying the dish, is the gravy, or, to put it simply, the sauce. The dressing is based on the juice that is secreted during baking. Also added to the gravy is roast or finely chopped vegetables.
Depending on the choice of meat, vary the other components of the dish. For example, lamb is usually served with redcurrant sauce and jelly, beef is served with Yorkshire pudding and mustard, and chicken is served with sausage, cranberry, and bread sauce.