Tasty English Treats Pt. 3: Family Recipes

By Jasmine Cummings on December 5, 2016

For the final part of this foray into some unfamiliar English dishes, I went right to the source of all my experiences and asked my family to share some of their recipes with me. These are foods that I’ve eaten over and over again; foods that I grew up with, foods my Mom grew up with, even.  There’s also few English drinks that my family calls their favorites – and mine, as well. In the end, I’ve ended up with a whole list of things to beg my parents to bring back for me. I have a feeling I’ll be visiting England again myself before too long.

Also, I had an early Christmas with my parents, and Mom and I made some celebratory pasties.

An attempt was made.

Not to bad for a first try, eh?

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1 – Roast Potatoes

My cousin-in-law makes the most delicious roast potatoes. Whenever we visit, they’re a staple of our big family dinners – my Mom loves them so much, she considers any trip across the ocean without them a serious disappointment. I’m not even a huge fan of potatoes, but I’ll fend off Mom to snag a few, at least.

food.com

Ingredients

1kg pototoes
100g of oil or duck fat
Salt and pepper

Method

  • Peel and cut the potatoes into four pieces. Put into salted boiling water for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile put the oil into a roasting tin and heat for a few minutes, oven to be at 200C so the oil is very hot.
  • Drain the potatoes in a colander and give a good shake to fluff up the edges of potatoes, this will help them to crisp up around the edges when in the oven.
  • Take the roasting tin out of the oven, be careful as the oil will be very hot. Carefully place the potatoes in the tin. They will sizzle!
  • Sprinkle salt and and pepper and turn them around so they are all coated in oil. Put in the oven and turn the potatoes every 15 minutes to ensure they evenly roast.
  • Cook for 30-45 minutes in total. The colouring should be uneven but golden and crisp!

Mom has tried to make roast potatoes several times in the past, but they’re never the same. We think the duck fat is what makes this recipe. Shoutout to my cousin for sharing this with me!

2 – Victoria Sandwich

The Victoria Sandwich is a lot tastier than it sounds, I promise.  It’s a type of cake named for Queen Victoria, two layers separated by a filling of cream and jam. Jams as cake filling are really popular in England, and I can understand why. English jam is superior to our own, I feel – mostly because they have blackcurrants. Mmm.

Anyway, this is a cake I made many times as a kid. Baking is a traditional activity to do with one’s grandmother, and I’m no different. My Nan is a pretty amazing baker, so everything we made turned out great, and this is one of my favorites.

bbcgoodfood.com

Recipe courtesy of my aunt!

Ingredients

8oz of butter
8oz of castor sugar
4 eggs
8oz of self-raising flour

A little milk

 

Method

  • Heat oven to 170C (around 325F)
  • Grease x 2 round 8″ cake tins – place a circle of greaseproof paper in bottom of tin – put to one side
  • Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy – with wooden spoon or electric mixer
  • Beat the eggs together and then gradually beat in with the butter and sugar
  • Fold in the flour slowly, ideally using a wooden spoon.
  • If required, add a little milk.
  • Divide the mixture between the cake tins and smooth over the top
  • Cook for approx. 25 mins – test cake is cooked by quickly, lightly pressing the top -if the cake is cooked the dimple will spring back up
  • Leave to cool in the tins for a couple of minutes
  • Turn upside down onto a wire rack and leave to cool
  • When cool, spread jam or jam and cream on the bottom of one cake
  • Place the second cake on top and sprinkle with a little castor sugar

A slice of cake is ideally paired with a glass of milk (or tea) for a tasty snack.

3 – Grandad’s Cake

This is a special kind of fruit cake my Nan and I make together, so called because, light on sugar, it makes for a good treat for my diabetic Grandad. As such, this recipe comes with the most nostalgic memories of all; this cake is what inspired me to write these articles in the first place.

I don’t have a photo of the cake, so here’s my Dad, Grandad, and I celebrating Christmas in England instead. The silly paper hats come from inside a cracker, the tubes we’re holding. When you pull it apart, a loud CRACK is heard, and inside are a hat, a toy, and a motto, similar to what you’d find in a fortune cookie.

Ingredients

6oz margarine
6oz castor sugar
8oz plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspooon mixed spice
3 large eggs
10oz sultanas (similar to raisins, but lighter in color)

Method

  • Place all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
  • Place in a greased and lined 7-inch round cake tin. Smooth top.
  • Bake in a pre-heated oven (325F) for 1 ½ hours
  • Leave in tin for 2-3 minutes, then turn out, cool on wire tray

Nan and I tended to use only half the sugar, and it still turned out delicious. No icing or extra toppings on this one. The simplicity is what makes it so good!

Thanks to Nan for digging the recipe out for me. Next time I visit, we’ll do lots of baking and gardening!

4 – Drinks

I’ve talked a lot about the English foods I love, so I figured I should throw in a few drinks, too.

Ribena – When I visit, I’ll always find a bottle of blackcurrant flavored Ribena waiting for me. It’s concentrate, so you can make your drink as weak or strong as you like. Kids tend to like it weaker, but I prefer my mix to be strong enough you can’t see through the glass.

Cider – But we have hard cider in the States!, you say. Sure, but not like this; the variety and flavor of our cider pales in comparison. I always bring a bottle of Thatcher’s or Bulmer’s, two of the most popular brands, back with me after every visit.

Ginger Beer – A carbonated, non-alcoholic drink, ginger beer has a strong ‘bite’ to it, and it’ll burn the unsuspecting drinker. It’s made with real Jamaican ginger, which was originally brought to England by slaves 300 years ago. This is my Mom’s favorite drink, and I like it diluted with a little fizzy lemonade.

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This has been great fun for me to write, so I hope you enjoyed this little series on English foods. There are plenty of other delicious dishes to try, so if you ever find yourself in a position to get a taste – there are plenty of pubs scattered across the States – don’t pass up the opportunity.

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