Thursday, September 8, 2022

Of All Foods British

 It is aad day for the world and for Britain. The Queen reprsdented the epitome of English resolve and the enviable fortitude. She truly persisted. It's time to honor her and the foods that made her beloved country great.

The British Isles are just that isles, surrounded by the English Channel and the North and Irish Seas. Is it any wonder that fish plays an important part of their diet. One of the most popular is the internationally loved fish and chips. How did battered cod and the English version of fries come into being? Through  Spanish and Portuguese Jewish immigrants by way of the Netherlands. Thye fried battered  fish on Friday night and could eat it cold on Saturday, their Sabbath. Charles Dickens mentioned it in Oliver Twist while  Alexis  Soyer, a French chef recorded it in his cookbook, A Shilling Cookery For the People in 1845. Deep fried "chips"of potatoes started around this time too.fish and chip shops started around this time in London thanks to eastern European Jewish immigrant Joseph Malin while in Lancashire, John Mossley began his.In Edinburgh Scotland,a Belgian immigramt Edward de Gernier introduced them to the city. Surely the Queen loved a good Yorkshire pudding. This savory , heavenly tasting popover accompanies another English favorite roast beef.It came about in the 1700's and was then known as dripping puddings. These buttery sides are made with the roast beef drippings and is served with huge slabs of beef and generous helpings of gravy.

Thanks to The Great British Baking Show  everyone knows about British goodies and tea time delights. The Queen undoubtedly enjoyed Victoria Sponge named for her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, the second longest reigning British monarch. The recipe is a buttery sponge food cake one baked into two layers and filled with a whipped cream frosting and raspberry jam. A fun dessert is Eton mess. This is a tasty mash up of broken meringues, whipped cream and fresh cut fruit such as  strawberries and peaches. It's a favorite of her grandsons William and Harry. Her Majesty probably also enjoyed jam roly poly's or shirt sleeve pudding. This is another Nineteenth Century creation, first made with a dough using suet or beef fat. Butter replaces the suet in this steamed pudding.It's kind of like a Swiss roll but filled with either plum or raspberry jam. Custard is ladled on the steamed rolls. One of the most famous British desserts is the Christmas plum pudding. Again this is a steamed cake , made with breadcrumbs and rich with eggs. spices are added  as is port wine for color and sweetness.It's then topped with a spring of holly or lit on fire.

Queen Elizabeth made an impact on the world as did British cuisine. Like her it will be forever in our hearts and history. Rule Britannia.