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I am often asked the question - what is traditional English food? The obvious answer includes dishes such as fish and chips, steak and kidney pie, apple crumble and a traditional Sunday roast.
However, I like to throw in the more exotic-sounding dishes of my childhood. Namely, bubble and squeak, toad in the hole, jam roly poly and bacon pudding. Simply naming them brings back pleasant memories of endlessly sunny days spent riding my bike and eating delicious wholesome food.
Unfortunately, these English classics are not easily found in restaurants and they seem to be a dying breed in the modern English household. So, I have decided to revive them and keep the tradition alive, starting with bacon pudding - one of my favourites.
In my opinion, bacon pudding perfectly epitomises traditional English food - it's quite heavy, slightly bland and contains very few ingredients. I won't try to sell it to you. It's quite possible that the only reason why I like eating it is that I grew up on it (and, I just so happen to have a penchant for stodgy food). But, if you have a fearless stomach and adventurous taste-buds, read on...
Firstly, please allow me to introduce you to The Original Atora Shredded Suet. It's difficult to say exactly what suet is since the ingredients listed on the box are simply beef suet and wheat flour. Surprisingly, it has a macaroni-like shape and texture. Yet, when kneaded with flour and water it forms a dough that can be used to make dumplings, pastries and pies. What's even more amazing about suet-based food is that it can be steamed.
You can find the recipe for bacon pudding in the Food Forum, which was kindly posted by my dad. However, having cooked this dish disastrously as well as successfully several times, I have additional advice:
1) Use a quarter of the ingredients quoted for one person. This will make a pastry-like roll that is about 20 x 10 x 0.5 cm. Bear in mind that you need to fit the pudding into your steamer (or, makeshift steamer).
2) Allow the cooked onion and bacon mixture to cool down and dry before spreading it on the pastry. Otherwise, the moisture and heat from the mixture may cause the pastry to break when you roll it.
3) If you don't have a steamer, you can use a rice cooker by filling it with water and suspending the pudding above using something that won't melt or block the steam. Boil the water by switching cook and then turn it onto warm. You may need to repeat this a few times whilst cooking the pudding.
Serve with the usual mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables and gravy that accompany most English dishes. A simple dish that is simple to make...once you know how.
However, I like to throw in the more exotic-sounding dishes of my childhood. Namely, bubble and squeak, toad in the hole, jam roly poly and bacon pudding. Simply naming them brings back pleasant memories of endlessly sunny days spent riding my bike and eating delicious wholesome food.
Unfortunately, these English classics are not easily found in restaurants and they seem to be a dying breed in the modern English household. So, I have decided to revive them and keep the tradition alive, starting with bacon pudding - one of my favourites.
In my opinion, bacon pudding perfectly epitomises traditional English food - it's quite heavy, slightly bland and contains very few ingredients. I won't try to sell it to you. It's quite possible that the only reason why I like eating it is that I grew up on it (and, I just so happen to have a penchant for stodgy food). But, if you have a fearless stomach and adventurous taste-buds, read on...
Firstly, please allow me to introduce you to The Original Atora Shredded Suet. It's difficult to say exactly what suet is since the ingredients listed on the box are simply beef suet and wheat flour. Surprisingly, it has a macaroni-like shape and texture. Yet, when kneaded with flour and water it forms a dough that can be used to make dumplings, pastries and pies. What's even more amazing about suet-based food is that it can be steamed.You can find the recipe for bacon pudding in the Food Forum, which was kindly posted by my dad. However, having cooked this dish disastrously as well as successfully several times, I have additional advice:
1) Use a quarter of the ingredients quoted for one person. This will make a pastry-like roll that is about 20 x 10 x 0.5 cm. Bear in mind that you need to fit the pudding into your steamer (or, makeshift steamer).
2) Allow the cooked onion and bacon mixture to cool down and dry before spreading it on the pastry. Otherwise, the moisture and heat from the mixture may cause the pastry to break when you roll it.
3) If you don't have a steamer, you can use a rice cooker by filling it with water and suspending the pudding above using something that won't melt or block the steam. Boil the water by switching cook and then turn it onto warm. You may need to repeat this a few times whilst cooking the pudding.
Serve with the usual mashed potatoes, boiled vegetables and gravy that accompany most English dishes. A simple dish that is simple to make...once you know how.
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Awesome! I like the direction you're taking. ^_^
ReplyDeleteLove the photos, and the writing. Maybe you should think of going into a job in this field.
ReplyDeleteJust a couple of small points on the bacon pudding. It looks like you've rolled it as a pancake roll. It should be rolled like a cigar, it means several layers of the pastry mixture. Streaky smoked bacon is best for it. Also, cabbage is the best veg to go with it.
For info, shredded suet is cow gut.
Cow gut?! I'm sorry I asked...
ReplyDeleteI could't get it to roll like a cigar. Should I roll the pastry out into a more narrow and long shape? Or, use less of the bacon-onion mixture?
I'm glad you like the photos - it's hard making bacon pudding look good :) I assume that jam roly poly is the same thing except you spread jam on instead?
Yes, try rolling it longer and narrower. Don't forget to roll it from the long end. A bit like rolling a carpet up :)
ReplyDeleteJam roly poly is as you said.
Here are two web sites you might like.
http://hidden-england.netfirms.com/recipes.htm
http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/English%20Recipes.htm
And lastly, here is a recipe I found for bacon pudding :)
http://www.recipes4us.co.uk/Pork%20and%20Bacon/berkshire_bacon_roly_poly_puddin.htm