Like most British cooks of my generation, I owe a massive amount to Delia Smith. But this Xmas Eve, we’re going with a Diana Henry recipe for a sort of fish pie involving salmon
Gratin of fresh & smoked salmon, beetroot, potatoes & dill recipe | Good Food
Delia’s king prawn risotto recipe is on our list for 29/12
My take on Delia’s hot smoked salmon fish pie, using some frozen hot smoked coho salmon that I had delivered from British Columbia, as well as frozen sockeye from BC and frozen shrimp. Borrowed the capers and Gruyère from Delia, omitted the cheddar, egg, and cornichons, subbed green onion for chives.
Sainsbury is our usual supermarket (it’s the nearest) but it’s years since we bought the magazine. We have subscribed to BBC Good Food magazine since its first edition in 1989. Truth be told, we don’t find that much to cook from it any longer
Sainsbury is new-to-me (USA resident). I scanned through the British recipes, and printed off a couple to try:
A regional treat of Birmingham: savory Brummie Bacon Cakes.
I made these for breakfast this morning – so good! Deets on the baking thread here for anyone who is interested.
We didn’t like this Good Food Best Yorkshire puddings recipe as much as others.
The British Burrito’ Replaces Tortillas With Yorkshire Pudding
Already a topic on HO in Feb 2016
A British Burrito - Long Can Hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire
OK, let’s talk about rag pudding, seeing it’s dinner tonight.
Folk may already know a traditional steak and kidney pudding - the meat encased in suet pastry in a small basin (or mould) and then steamed. Well the rag pudding is the poor person’s version and originates from the town of Oldham in my metro area of Greater Manchester. In fact, you’ll probably not come across it outside of the metro area and not generally even within it. So, forget your expensive steak and kidney. The filling is minced beef and onions. And forget the basin/mould - if you’re a poor mill worker in the 19th century you’re not buying a set of them just for the occasional dinner. Oh no, what you do is take a piece of cloth (hence the rag), lay the suet pastry on top, add the filling and fold it up, then steam.
That was then of course. Now, you buy a ready cooked one from the butchers (if you can find a butcher these days) and microwave it for a couple of minutes. Chips and the contents of a tin of mushy peas to go with. Lots of malt vinegar.
Some Chinese British recipes
It’s not often we have midweek desserts but Shrove Tuesday is an exception. We always have pancakes. - which is what most of Northern Europe call the thing that the French and Americans call crepes. And, in this house, always with the traditional accompaniments of lemon juice and sugar.
Perhaps almost needless to say, for Britons of my generation, we use Delia Smith’s recipe.
I like my French-style crêpes in France and Quebec with sugar and lemon, too.
I might try the Delia recipe tomorrow.
It’s Commonwealth Day on March 10th. I think I’ll do all Commonwealth food all weekend long.
That’s a pretty broad category!
I am making a variation on this recipe, adding pecans, and some oatmeal in place of some of the flour.
