 
|
TASTE ENGLAND During my graduate studies with the University of Kent’s London Centre of International Relations, our class visited the Canterbury campus where an agrarian vision made it difficult to remain inside and to study for hours on end. Kent, a storybook image of perfect rolling pastures, fertile gardens, sheep-filled meadows and rich green grass, provided an ideal background for these traditional recipes. The large weekly markets of Maidstone and Sevenoaks remain important centers as they did in the Middle Ages. From Wimbledon to Savile Row or to your local pub, this British party menu is a classic Sunday fare that will never go out of style! Menu BRITISH PIMM’S, GIN-BASED LIQUOR Pimm’s No. 1 Take a large pitcher and fill it with ice, mix one part Pimm’s No. 1 with 3 parts chilled lemonade. Add fresh mint leaves, freshly sliced cucumber, orange wedges and a strawberry. Serve cold. ROASTED AND SALTED POTATOES 3 lbs small new potatoes, cleaned Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot, place the potatoes and cover them by 2 inches with cold water and generously season with Kosher sea salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to a medium baking dish. Pour the melted butter over the potatoes and roll them around until well coated. Add 2 tablespoons of sea salt and season to taste with fresh pepper and toss again. Bake until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives. Serve immediately. Serves 4. The key to fluffy Yorkshire pudding is a very hot pan and very hot rib roast fat drippings. If your pan has cooled down, heat the pan and rib roast grease in the oven for 10 minutes before adding the batter. With origins dating back to 1737, this pudding is fit for the queen. RIB ROAST AND YORKSHIRE PUDDING 7 lbs rib roast Preheat oven to 325°F. Over high heat, warm a medium-sized baking pan for 5 minutes. Generously season the rib roast with salt and fresh pepper. Sear the meat on all sides in the hot pan until well browned all over. Turn the meat, fat side up, ribs down, and transfer to the oven. Roast meat until instant-read thermometer registers 125°F for medium-rare, approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cook longer for desired meat. In the meantime, prepare the Yorkshire pudding. Put the flour, eggs, milk and ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon water into a blender and process until the batter is completely smooth. Working quickly, transfer the rib roast to a carving board, loosely cover with foil and set aside to rest at least 30 minutes before carving. Move the hot oven rack to the upper third of the oven and increase its temperature to 400°F. Pour the batter into the very hot rib roast pan with the fat drippings. Gently mix together. Bake the pudding until puffy, crispy and deep golden brown. Remove from oven, cut pudding into squares and serve immediately with carved rib roast. Serves 4. CRISPY BRITISH FISH AND CHIPS ¼ oz packet of dried active To make the batter, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a medium bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve the yeast. Stir in the milk and pinch of sugar. Add the flour and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cover bowl with a towel and let stand in a warm place on the counter until bubbling, about 1 hour. Peel the baking potatoes and cut into 2½-inch sticks long and ½-inch wide. Rinse well with cool water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Preheat the oven 250°F. Fill a wide and deep saucepan halfway with vegetable oil and heat in the oven until temperature reaches 325°F. Carefully place half the potato sticks in a deep-frying basket and lower into the very hot oil. Deep fry in the oven for 5 minutes or until potatoes are pale-colored but tender. Drain and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining potato sticks. Line another baking sheet with paper towels. Season the cod with salt and pepper to taste then lightly dust with flour. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F and heat oil. In two patches, dip the cod into the batter then carefully add to the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cod to the lined baking sheet and keep warm inside the oven. Quickly dip tied fresh herbs into hot oil for 5 seconds or until crispy. Set aside and remove twine. Return all the potatoes to the frying basket and deep-fry for another 3-4 minutes, shaking the basket. Drain well. Serve hot garnished with crispy fried herbs, lemon wedges and malt vinegar. Serves 4. Variations of the trifle, which is always made with some amount of liquor, were dubbed “the tipsy hedgehog” for its intoxicating effects. By soaking the berries with the sugar, the fruit will soften or macerate. ENGLISH TRIFLE 1 cup blueberries, rinsed In a large bowl, toss together all the fresh berries and 3 tablespoons of sugar and set aside to macerate. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk and 1 cup of the heavy cream to a boil. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and remaining sugar together until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in color. Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly. Then return this entire mixture back into the saucepan. Reduce heat to low and cook stirring constantly until the custard is thick enough to coat a wooden spoon, approximately 8-10 minutes. Transfer the custard to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well cooled. In a medium bowl, whisk remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In a trifle bowl, line the bottom with a single layer of pound cake. Drizzle with one-quarter of the sweet sherry then spread one-quarter of the fresh berries evenly over the cake. Next spoon one-quarter of the custard over the berries then cover the custard with one-quarter of the freshly whipped cream. Repeat this layering process three times and top with extra whipped cream. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Serve cold. Serves 8. |
|