British . . . cuisine? Most people wouldn`t use the two words in the same breath. A British children`s chant says more about dinnertime for the stereotypical English family than most of us care to imagine:
Hot on Sunday, cold on Monday,
hashed on Tuesday, minced on Wednesday,
curried on Thursday, broth on Friday,
cottage pie on Saturday.
Epicures around the world make light of British cooking, with quips like: ”The British have three vegetables and two of them are cabbage.”
Or this gem: ”The French have one religion and a hundred sauces; the British have a hundred religions and one sauce.”
How did the British cook get in such a rut in the first place? In centuries past, such great French chefs as Careme and Escoffier made their names and fortunes in England. For wealthy British families, an imported chef was considered a status symbol.
The unfortunate result of this trend was that middle-class households clamored to copy French and Italian styles-and virtually abandoned simple, fresh dishes that had become their staples.
In this century, the loss has become even more pronounced. Starting with the Industrial Revolution and continuing through two world wars, the busy British homemaker developed a fascination for convenience foods, with an increasing dependence on frozen and canned goods.
Two generations of Britons have grown up without realizing that fine fresh vegetables grown in their homeland are largely exported. British travel- guide authors lament that tourists never experience traditional regional dishes unless they seek out remote country pubs.
Even the British themselves, Jane Garmey writes in her book ”Great New British Cooking,” ”. . . have developed a strange affinity for dining out in foreign restaurants. Unable for the most part to judge the merits and subtleties of an unfamiliar cuisine, they naively assume that the food must be good even when it tastes quite appalling. Meanwhile, in the kitchen at home, the native cuisine remains a well-kept secret, practiced and passed on to successive generations with little or no fanfare.”
But today, England is going through much the same kind of cooking revolution as the United States, rediscovering its heritage and updating traditional recipes. ”Cauliflower cheese,” boiled cauliflower with cheese, for example, and rice pudding, two English staples, have been updated and lightened in recent years.
Britons, like Americans, are also becoming more conscious of health and fitness. Meat turnovers, called pasties, are now filled as often with fish and rice as the traditional beef-and-potato mixtures. Pasta dishes are brimming with fresh vegetables. Salads and fresh fish are the highlights of many of London`s most elegant restaurant menus.
It`s a breath of fresh air-that doesn`t smell of fish and chips!
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The following recipes are from English cookbooks that are not available in the United States. The first comes from ”The New English Cookery” by Richard Cawley (Octopus Books, 59 Grosvenor St., London W 1, England).
SPICED RICE PUDDING IN COOKIE BASKETS
Six servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 1/2 hours
1/3 cup short-grain rice
3 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dried mixed fruit or raisins
4 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces, plus extra for pan
Cookie baskets (recipe follows)
Julienne strips of orange rind, blanched in boiling water for 5 minutes and well drained
1. Butter a shallow ovenproof dish and place in it the rice, half-and-half, sugar, dried fruit, cloves and cardamom pods. Dot surface with small pieces of butter. Bake in a preheated 300-degree oven for 2 1/2 hours or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove the whole spices and chill.
2. While pudding is chilling, prepare the cookie baskets.
3. To serve, spoon the chilled rice pudding into the baskets and decorate with orange julienne.
COOKIE BASKETS
Six baskets
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Resting time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 egg whites
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Six 8-inch rounds of parchment paper
1. Cream 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. Mix in 1/3 cup flour, 2 egg whites, pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Allow mixture to rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
2. Butter 6 (8-inch) rounds of parchment paper; place 2 on a baking sheet. Drop 1 tablespoon of cookie mixture into the center of each of the 2 papers. Spread with the back of a spoon to make a smooth round, leaving a 1-inch border of paper uncovered. Bake cookies 2 at a time on top shelf of a preheated 350-degree oven 10 minutes, or until pale golden with a slightly browner edge.
3. Working quickly and carefully, remove cookies from the oven and place each, top side down, over an upturned tumbler. Peel away paper and press the cookie down lightly around the glass on all sides to make a frilly cup shape. Remove from tumbler when cool and firm. Cookie baskets can be kept for several hours in an airtight container, but should be eaten as soon as possible to ensure crispness.
Stilton and port traditionally belong at the end of a meal. This recipe offers a way to move them to the beginning.
STILTON, PORT AND CELERY PATE
Six servings
Preparationn time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
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1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup port
10 pitted Italian olives
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 pound Stilton cheese, grated
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot toast
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over gentle heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring the sauce just to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, continuing to stir. Allow to cool.
2. Mix the cooled sauce with the celery, garlic, port, olives, cream and mayonnaise. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, fold in the Stilton. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into ramekins; refrigerate until 10 minutes before serving. Serve with hot toast.
The following recipe is from ”Michael Smith`s New English Cookery”
(British Broadcasting Corp., 35 Marylebone High St., London W1M 4AA, England).
CAULIFLOWER CHEESE
Four to six servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
1 heaping tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 good white cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt to taste
1. In a large pan, mix Parmesan, garlic, mace and cream; allow mixture to stand for 2 hours at room temperature.
2. Drop the cauliflower florets into boiling, salted water to which you have added the juice of half a lemon; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The cauliflower should remain crisp. Drain well. Add the cauliflower to the pan containing the cream mixture and cook, stirring, over medium-to-high heat until each floret is well coated, and all is well blended and heated through.