FOOD REVIEW: 8 Classic English Dishes You Need to Try

As my summer trip around England was coming to an end, I sat down and shared a delightful bottle of Pinot Grigio with an old friend and former work colleague, Chef Robert Johnston, to find out more about some famous old, but still popular, English classic dishes that were amongst his all time favourites.

1. Smoked Salmon. The smoked fish has been around since the Viking Age. From these traditions, smoked salmon evolved through Jewish immigrant communities, primarily in London and British smokehouses, and eventually into the global delicacy it is today. This particular salmon was line-caught in the north Atlantic, then smoked - it has a darker colour and more flavour than anything farmed. Eggs not overcooked, lightly beaten with a fork, and a pinch of sea salt. Put a knob of butter into the pan, melt and roll around to coat the pan. Eggs then go into the pan, and use a spatula to move the eggs around the pan to prevent sticking and overcooking. If anything, remove when slightly underdone. Put them onto buttered homemade granary bread.

2. Beef and Potato Pie. Here’s the recipe for this marvelous dish that has been around forever. 

   
   

   2.75kg/6lb braising steak, cut into cubes, 3 medium onions, chopped, 2.75kg/6lb potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks, 1 tbsp. beef extract, good reduced beef stock and 2 tbsp. flour (or gravy granules if needs must)

For the short crust pastry

500g/1lb 2oz plain flour, 2 tsp salt, 125g/4½oz butter, cut into small cubes, 125g/4½oz lard, cut into small cubes, 125ml/4fl oz. cold water

For the pie filling, put the beef and onions into a large, lidded saucepan and season with salt. Pour in enough water to cover the contents of the pan and bring to the boil. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2½–3 hours or until the meat is tender. Add beef extract, flour, stir, then add beef stock. Not too much liquid, this is a pie you're making.

Cook spuds in salted water or steam, cut into chunks when cool.

Mix and put into a dish, put a pastry lid on, glaze with a beaten egg, a couple of slits in the pastry, into the oven, 180 to 200 °C for 50 minutes. 

This is a particularly good meal for the long, cold winters in England.

3. Liver and Onions. Not so long ago, liver and onions felt like a culinary relic, the sort of dish endured rather than sought out, redolent of overcooked school dinners and a generation raised on thrift. Yet suddenly, Britain appears to have developed a taste for its past.

Sales of offal, particularly hearts, liver and kidneys, are surging, apparently, with reports of a sharp rise driven by what it calls a return to “grandma cooking”. Cheeky beggars. My butcher tells me that sales of lamb hearts are up 91 percent year-on-year, beef heart steak by 88 percent, and lamb’s liver and kidneys have climbed by 33 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The revival is not simply nostalgic. It is being propelled by a confluence of modern forces: social media, rising food prices and a growing awareness of waste. The result is that dishes once dismissed as old-fashioned are finding new life among a generation raised on food trends rather than ration books. This dish, for me, tops the list.

4. Scotch Woodcock. Despite the name suggesting game, this Edwardian delicacy consists of creamy scrambled eggs on toast topped with anchovy paste and sometimes capers. The combination sounds odd but works brilliantly, with the salty fish complementing the rich, soft eggs perfectly.

The earliest mention of the dish can be found amongst the pages of Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management. It was a favourite late-night snack amongst gentlemen's clubs and appeared on many restaurant menus as a sophisticated starter. The unusual name and unfamiliar combination have unfortunately contributed to its near-total disappearance from contemporary dining establishments. However, it still remains a favourite of mine. Use 150ml double cream, 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, salt and pepper. good pinch of cayenne powder, pinch of ground mace, teaspoon of spicy relish. Spoon it onto toast. Add a couple of anchovies and a sprinkle of capers. 

5. Spotted Dick. Someone asked me for a bit of spotted dick a long time ago. I almost choked on my tea, but I knew what she meant. Spotted Dick - yes, it exists. It's an old favourite steamed sponge pudding made with dried fruit and suet. Spotted refers to the dried fruit scattered about throughout the pudding and 'dick' is a 19th-century word for pudding. Use 3oz (70g) SRF, a pinch of salt, 3oz both breadcrumbs and shredded suet, 2oz (50g) caster sugar, and 6oz (175g) currants. 4 tbsp. milk. Bring together in a bowl and add enough milk to make a soft dough, but no more. Into a buttered pudding bowl, cover the top with baking parchment, then foil, crimping around the edge. Steam for one to two hours. Serve with custard for a hearty dessert.

   
   

   

   
   

6. Brandy Fruit Cake. Another delightful cake is one made with Brandy. It’s a special treat and often takes center stage on the Christmas dinner table. This is one of my wife’s favorite desserts.

To make this dish, you’ll need 1 1⁄2 oz. almonds, 3 oz. walnuts, 12 oz. dark raisins, 8 oz. golden raisins, 3 oz. candied orange peel, 3 oz. glacé cherries (cut in half), 6oz currants, zest and juice of a lemon, half a glass of decent brandy, 8oz plain flour, 1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1⁄2 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, 6 oz. butter, 6 oz. muscovado sugar, 4 eggs, 2 tabs bramble jelly or cherry jam. Top with marzipan and royal icing. Voila…

7. Kedgeree, from the time of the British rule in India during the 19th century. 'In the hot season, fish caught early in the morning would be much deteriorated before the dinner hour. It wasn't until the dish travelled back to the country homes of Britain that smoked haddock was added to make this very British dish.

This is what you’ll need: 450g basmati rice, 500g smoked haddock, 120g butter, 1 large onion, finely chopped, 1 green chili, chopped, 2 crushed green cardamom pods, 1 tablespoon of curry powder (or make your own), 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half.

To garnish, a small handful of chopped chives, chopped fresh coriander and a few wedges of lemon. Steam the rice, and cook the fish lightly in a little water. Melt the butter in a large frying pan and add the onion on a low heat. Fry gently until softened, then stir in the chili, cardamom pods and curry powder. Cook for a couple of minutes, then tip in the rice and stir to coat. Add the fish flakes and heat through. Put the eggs on top, scatter with chives and coriander, and serve with slices of lemon to squeeze over.

8. Hindle Wakes. Not many of you would have heard of this, but it dates back many a year and is something I like to cook when I fancy something different. Attracted by the area’s textile industry, Flemish weavers settled in Bolton-le-Moors in the medieval period. They allegedly brought with them a recipe for Hindle Wakes (Hen De La Wake or Hen of the Wake). No one quite knows the origin of Hindle Wakes, but I would like to think of it as an ancient dish introduced by early Dutch-Belgian migrants. In 1910, a play of the same name, tackling class divisions, about a mill girl and a mill owner’s son having an affair, was published by Stanley Houghton. This was later adapted for the screen, and Hindle Wakes the movie was released in 1952.

The process of making Hindle Wakes involved preparing an old fowl that had been hanging for some time to mature. The stuffing was made using half a loaf of dry bread mixed with twice the number of prunes. This was seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs before adding a cupful of vinegar. Next, a handful of suet was stirred into the mix and the fowl stuffed, trussed, and boiled overnight in water, vinegar, and brown sugar. The hen was then left to go completely cold before being coated with a lemon sauce and served as the main dish during the start of the wake holiday. Something I might cook for you on your next visit, Chef Jessie.

Here you go, everyone, and thanks, Chef Robert. It’s always a pleasure to catch up with you.

Cheers, as the English say …