I enjoy Collier’s Welsh cheddar, too.
Some Scottish cheddars and Irish cheddars (realise the Republic of Ireland is not part of the UK ) are very good, too.
I also like Coastal Mature Cheddar .
https://www.google.com/amp/s/britsintoronto.com/2016/02/18/totally-biased-product-review-by-me-coastal-rugged-mature-british-cheddar/amp/
For those of us who shop there, we very frequently find very fine British cheeses at our Grocery Outlet. At embarrassingly good prices. Cheers all around!
We lived in the Netherlands for several years - near Den Haag, with shops that catered to expats - we were overjoyed whenever we found British cheddar and Stilton. Dutch cheese is good, but we found it one dimensional. When I die, I want to die eating cheese and butter in France.
Preferably on a crackling fresh baguette.
Finally made the Jaffa cake. It was on my baking list for a while, after I saw a homemade version on a TV cooking competition a few years ago. I know and quite like the version one can purchase in the biscuit section in supermarkets, I don’t know how they are called in UK, probably just Jaffa cakes. In France, they are called Pim’s.
I’ve thought of making the regular size ones, but don’t have the moulds. I decide to make a giant one, with my 2 cooking pans.
Mine was less sweet compared to the Pim’s and the jelly was not as firm and concentrated in flavour compared to the industrial version. I use bitter chocolate vs the sweeter milk chocolate in Pim’s. Mine had orange zests in the jelly.
Maybe next time, I’ll try to make the regular size one.
Baked some scotch eggs. I avoid deep frying at home. Well, I didn’t succeed to make the yolks runny as promised in the recipe. I guess one needs to test a few times, to get to know the minimum time and temperature to cook the pork in oven.
Made this baked smoke fish pie as well. I used smoked salmon and not haddock. I prefer the traditional fatty version with mash and cream. With this light recipe the cooking (30 minutes in oven) split the milk and no creamy sauce.
Wellington beef, made on the last December days. Such a delight!
Pancetta on filo sheets
Duck mousse on the pancetta
Puff pastry wrapped around the meat, waiting to be brushed with egg yolk.
I used @lambchop’s recommendation, the Fine Magazine recipe as base, I didn’t make the crepes as suggested. The breaking down of tasks and time management suggested by FM is excellent! The crepe was replaced by filo sheets as suggested by Serious Eats, I also found the illustrated steps very useful.
Yep, we call them Jaffa Cakes.
They were subject to a court case in 1991, to determine if they were legally a cake or a biscuit. The latter would be subject to Value Added Tax, the former VAT exempt. The taxman had originally determined them to be a biscuit, based on size and shape (and,as naf says, you find them in the biscuit aisle). However, McVitie’s appealed and won. By the by, McVitie makes them at its factory a few minutes from me on the other side of town.
I’ve heard about the court case. I think too, it’s a cake and not a biscuit. Actually I’ve been wondering if it is invented by McVitie, or it is a traditional cake that existed already? Do you know its history?
Fabulous Beef Wellington …
According to McVitie’s website, the company invented it in 1927. Chocolate & orange is a classic combination so something might have pre-dated it, I suppose. Much as I like Jaffa Cakes (even though they are smaller than they used to be), I much prefer McVitie’s three main products which are definitely biscuits - digestives, rich tea and, my favourite, Hobnobs.
I like this article about McVities.
In case anyone wants to make their own.
By the by, naf’s giant Jaffa Cake looks entirely right. And, oh yes, the idea of a giant Jaffa Cake really does appeal.
I made a simplified haggis, tatties and neeps, chips and egg (oven-baked, I don’t tend to fry chips at home- the egg was on another plate) , cranachan and whisky chai pears over the last few days.
I remember hearing about Chip and Egg (for tea, rather than breakfast)when I saw Shirley Valentine many years ago.
Then maybe 16 years ago, I was following a blog
https://russelldavies.typepad.com/eggbaconchipsandbeans/
that led to this book
I seek out cafes and historic tea rooms when I visit the UK.
Ah, yes. A subject of much discussion at the time on British led forums. As you say, the film refers to “chips and egg”. However, that is the reverse of how it is usually phrased in the UK, “egg & chips”. I can’t recall if discussions ever pinned down if it was a regional difference or simply something “wrong” in the script writing. Either way, it appears as dinner for one in this house from time to time (my companion is not a fan of fried eggs) - I usually have a tin of baked beans with it to please the inner child.
Good to know it is usually egg and chips!
thanks, @Harters. As a Cdn, I didn’t pick up on that. I have noticed in the UK, egg usually comes first, before bacon/beans/etc, whereas in North America, it’s " bacon and eggs" , “ham and eggs” or " green eggs and ham". Usually meat mentioned first here.
They look amazing. Hope they tasted good too!
Gorgeous, gorgeous result., picture perfect!
Bacon & eggs also in the UK. Language, eh?
