British cuisine Sunday roast

British cuisine

Sunday roast

T he Sunday roast is a traditional British and Irish main meal that is traditionally served on Sundays but can be eaten on any day of the week, consisting of roasted meat, roast potato or mashed potato, with accompaniments such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, vegetables and gravy. Other names for this meal are Sunday dinner, Sunday lunch, Roast dinner, and Sunday joint (joint referring specifically to the joint of meat). The meal is often comparable to a less grand version of a traditional Christmas dinner. Besides being served in its original homelands, the tradition of a Sunday dinner has been a major influence on food cultures in countries with populations originating from the nations of the British Isles and Ireland.

Typical elements

Meat

Typical meats used for a Sunday roast are roast beef, chicken, lamb or pork, although seasonally duck, goose, gammon, turkey or (rarely) other game birds may be used.

Vegetables

Sunday roasts can be served with a range of boiled, steamed and/or roasted vegetables. The vegetables served vary seasonally and regionally, but will usually include roast potatoes, roasted in meat dripping or vegetable oil, and also gravy made from juices released by the roasting meat, perhaps supplemented by one or more stock cubes, gravy browning/thickening, roux or corn flour.

The potatoes can be cooked around the meat itself, absorbing the juices and fat directly (as in a traditional Cornish under-roast). However, many cooks prefer to cook the potatoes and the Yorkshire Pudding in a hotter oven than that used for the joint and so remove the meat beforehand to rest and "settle" in a warm place.
Other vegetable dishes served with roast dinner can include mashed swede or turnip, roast parsnip, boiled or steamed cabbage, broccoli, green beans and boiled carrots and peas. It is also not uncommon for leftover composite vegetable dishes – such as cauliflower cheese and stewed red cabbage — to be served alongside the more usual assortment of plainly-cooked seasonal vegetables.

Fish and chips

Fish and chips in Norfolk, England

Alternative names Fish supper

Course Main dish

Place of origin England

Serving temperature Hot

Main ingredients Battered and fried fish with deep-fried chips
Fish and chips is a hot dish of English origin, consisting of battered fish, commonly Atlantic cod or haddock, and deep-fried chips. It is a common take-away food. A common side dish is mushy peas.
History

Fish and chips became a stock meal among the working classes in the United Kingdom as a consequence of the rapid development of trawl fishing in the North Sea, and the development of railways which connected the ports to major industrial cities during the second half of the 19th century, which meant that fresh fish could be rapidly transported to the heavily populated areas. Deep-fried fish was first introduced into Britain during the 16th century by Jewish refugees from Portugal and Spain, and is derived from pescado frito. In 1860, the first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin.

Composition

Traditional frying uses beef dripping or lard; however, vegetable oils, such as peanut oil (used because of its relatively high smoke point) now predominate. A minority of vendors in the north of England and Scotland and the majority of vendors in Northern Ireland still use dripping or lard, as it imparts a different flavour to the dish, but it has the side effect of making the fried chips unsuitable for vegetarians and for adherents of certain faiths. Lard is used in some living industrial history museums, such as the Black Country Living Museum.

Chocolate Raspberry Biscuit Cake

Ingredients

250g pack digestive biscuits

25g icing sugar, sifted

150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

75g pack Cooks' Homebaking Honeycomb Pieces

150g milk chocolate, broken into pieces

200g raspberries
Method

1. Place the biscuits in a large plastic food bag and roll with a rolling pin to crush finely. Mix with the icing sugar in a large bowl. Melt the dark chocolate with the butter over a gentle heat then add to the biscuits with 50g of the honeycomb pieces and mix thoroughly. Press firmly into a buttered 20 x 26cm swiss roll tin lined with baking parchment. Chill for 15 minutes until set.

2. Melt the milk chocolate in a basin set over a pan of simmering water (don't let the basin touch the water). Spread over the biscuit base and arrange the raspberries over the top, pressing them lightly into the chocolate. Scatter with the remaining honeycomb pieces. Chill until the chocolate has set then cut into squares. This cake improves with keeping for a day as the flavours develop.

Red Velvet Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for pan
For the red velvet brownie layer:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon red food colouring

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 eggs

3/4 cup plain flour

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
For the cream cheese layer:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Butter an 8 by 8-inch baking pan, and set aside.
3. Brownie layer: In a saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Remove the butter to a large bowl and add the sugar, vanilla, cocoa powder, salt, food colouring, and vinegar, in that order, mixing between additions. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and stir it into the cocoa mix. Fold in the flour until lightly combined. Stir in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, saving 1/4 cup of the batter for the top.
4. Cream cheese layer: Blend together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gently spread the cream cheese layer on top of the brownie batter in the pan. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the cream cheese layer. Using a skewer or the tip of a knife, drag the tip through the cream cheese mixture to create a swirl pattern. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before cutting.
Lyle's Caramel Chocolate Shortcake

Ingredients

For the base:

125g butter,50g caster sugar

175g plain flour, sieved

For the filling:

125g butter,50g Tate & Lyle® Caster Sugar

2 tbsp Lyle's Golden Syrup®

150ml condensed milk

For the topping:

150g dark chocolate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4. Cream together butter and sugar for the base until light and fluffy. Add the flour and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Knead until smooth.

2. Press this dough evenly into a 20cm square tin and prick the surface using a fork. Bake for 25-30 minutes, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.

3. Meanwhile, place the filling ingredients into a saucepan and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil slowly, then cook, stirring continuously for 5-7 minutes. Cool slightly, then pour over the biscuit and leave to set.

4. For the topping, melt dark chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water and spread over the caramel. Leave in the fridge until set.

Broccoli and Stilton Quiche

Ingredients

300 g shortcrust pastry

175g stilton

3 eggs

200 ml double cream

4 spring onions

400g sprouting broccoli

Salt and pepper

4 tsp Tabasco® brand Green Jalapeño sauce

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/ gas mark 6.

2. Line the flan ring with the pastry and bake blind for 15 minutes.

3. While the pastry is cooking, blanch the broccoli and refresh in cold water.

4. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the double cream.

5. Add the spring onions and Tabasco® Green Jalapeño sauce

6. Place the drained broccoli evenly in the tart then repeat with the stilton.

7. Pour over the quiche mix (if it's easier, pour the mix when you have placed the tart into the oven).

8. Cook in a preheated oven for about 20-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Fearne's Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttercream Topping

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:,

150g butter,

150g caster sugar,

175g self-raising flour,

25g cocoa powder,

3 eggs,
For the buttercream topping:,

250g butter,

500g icing sugar (sifted),

2 tsp milk,

12 raspberries,

Chocolate flakes (or chocolate chips),
Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas mark 4. Lay out 12 cupcake cases on a baking tray.

2. Beat the eggs with a fork in a separate bowl. Mix the butter, sugar, flour and cocoa powder in a bowl. Using an electric mixer, add the beaten eggs slowly into the bowl as you are mixing.

3. Using a large spoon place equal amounts of mixture into the 12 cupcake cases. Put the cupcakes into the oven (near the top) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Check on them after 15 minutes, they should be firm to touch. (You can also test by popping a skewer into the middle of the cupcake, it should come out clean). If not ready, leave them in for a further five minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

5. While the cupcakes are cooling, make the buttercream topping. Place the butter into a bowl and stir in the icing sugar and vanilla extract using a wooden spoon. Then whisk (again using an electric mixer) until fluffy and lighter in colour.

Add two teaspoons of milk and whisk again. If the mixture is still too stiff add a little more milk.

6. Once the cakes have cooled completely, put the buttercream mixture into a piping bag with a large star nozzle and squeeze plenty of buttercream onto each cupcake.

7. Sprinkle chocolate flakes or chocolate chips over the top of the buttercream and, finally, pop a raspberry on the top!
Grilled Tomato and Cheese

Ingredients

1 large or 2 medium heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes

Salt

Eight 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick slices Pullman bread

12 slices sharp Cheddar or American cheese

6 tablespoons cultured butter, softened
Method

1. Thinly slice the tomatoes and lay them on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and let sit to release any water, about 15 minutes. Pat dry.

2. Lay out 4 slices of the bread on a work surface. Layer each with 2 slices of cheese, making sure that they cover to the edges. Follow with 2 slices of tomato and then 1 more slice of cheese. Close the sandwiches with the remaining bread. Thinly and evenly spread the butter on both sides of the bread using about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter for each sandwich.

3. Place 2 sandwiches into a nonstick medium frying pan over medium heat. Cover the frying pan with a lid and cook until the bread is evenly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip, cover again and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is visibly melted, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork and Creamed Beans

Ingredients

1.5kg pork belly, skin on, no bones, skin scored,

3 tbsp olive oil,

1 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds,

15g rosemary, stalk removed and finely chopped,

490ml chicken stock,

For the beans:,

1 tbsp olive oil,

30g butter,

3 medium onions,

2 shallots, finely chopped,

150ml chicken stock,

15g rosemary,

160ml double cream,

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped,

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped,

3 x 400g tins cannelini beans, drained,

Salt and pepper,

Method

1. Boil a full kettle and once boiled, pour the water over the pork belly, skin side up. The pork needs to be held up at an angle so the water runs off the pork immediately. This helps to achieve great crackling.

2. Pat dry and rub both sides with three tablespoons of olive oil, fennel seeds and half the chopped rosemary. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

3. Cut the ends of each of the onions and cut in half, lay them on the bottom of a roasting tray to create a trivet for the meat. This will stop the bottom of the meat burning and will also give the sauce a lovely flavour.

4. Preheat the oven to 220°C and roast the pork for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and add 240ml of the chicken stock, return back to the oven for a further 20 minutes before adding another 240ml chicken stock. At this point the skin should have blistered evenly to give a great crackling. If the crackling isn't ready, return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 135°C, add 10ml of chicken stock and roast for a 2 1/2 hours, check the pork every 20 minutes and top up with water if the stock dries out.

5. Once cooked, remove the pork from the tray and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

6. While the pan juices are still warm, scrape the pan to release all the flavor and strain the juices into a small saucepan. Bring to the heat and reduce a little, being careful not to add any seasoning as the pan juices have reduced a lot during cooking. Set aside until serving.

7. Meanwhile to make the beans, bring a saute pan to the heat, add the remaining olive oil and butter, when bubbling add the shallots and saute on a medium heat for three minutes or until softened. When the shallots are soft, add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes before adding chopped rosemary, stir briefly and add the cream and remaining 150ml of chicken stock. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat and allow the sauce to reduce by a third. Add the beans and stir to warm through. Season and stir through the flat leaf parsley and keep warm until needed.

8. Cut the pork into six even pieces, keeping the crackling intact. The easiest way to do this is with a serrated knife, skin side down. Serve the beans first, top with a piece of pork and drizzle with the pan juices.