[su_heading]Full English Breakfast[/su_heading]

Spoil you and your housemates with a tasty fry up to kick start the day. Vegetarians, you can adapt using vegetarian meat substitutes or by leaving the sausages and bacon.

Ingredients (serves 4):

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• 4 tomatoes
• 8 portabello mushrooms
• 6 tsp olive oil
• 8 sausages
• 300g black pudding
• 8 rashers of bacon
• 830g baked beans (or 2 tins)
• 12 eggs
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 1 large knob of butter
• Bread of your choice for toasting

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Method:

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• Preheat the oven to its lowest heat and put 4 plates in to keep them warm. Preheat your grill to high temperature.
• Score the tomatoes by cutting a cross into the top of each of them.
• Place the mushrooms on a large grill pan and brush 6 tsp of olive oil over them.
• Put the sausages and tomatoes (scored side up) onto the pan with the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes under the grill, turning the sausages half way through.
• Add the black pudding and bacon to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• While those are cooking, pour the baked beans in a pan and heat on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring as you go.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl with the milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Beat lightly with a whisk.
• Melt the butter in a non-stick saucepan on low heat.
• Pour the eggs into the saucepan, leave for 20 seconds then stir gently but constantly with a wooden spoon until they are scrambled.
• Pop some bread in the toaster and serve your feast up with tomato or HP sauce and a pot of English breakfast tea.

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[su_heading]Shepherd’s Pie[/su_heading]

This lamb dish (or ‘cottage pie’ if you use beef) is a meat pie with mashed potato. Brits have been cooking it up since the 18th century! Have a go:

Ingredients (serves 4):

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• 1 red onion
• 3 chopped carrots
• 2 garlic cloves
• Small bunch of rosemary
• Olive, sunflower or vegetable oil
• 500g packed lamb mince
• 500ml lamb or beef stock
• 300g chopped tomatoes (3/4 tin)
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 900g potatoes cut in quarters
• 110g butter
• 6 tbsp milk
• Worcester Sauce

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Method:

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• Peel and roughly chop the onions and carrots and finely chop the garlic cloves.
• Pick the rosemary leaves off the bunch and leave the stalks.
• Pour some oil into a large saucepan and heat on medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic and most of the rosemary leaves. Heat for 10 minutes until soft, stirring occasionally.
• Turn the heat on high and add the mince. Cook and stir for 10 minutes until brown.
• Use a ladle to spoon away any excess fat and add the tinned tomatoes.
• Pour in the beef stock and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Leave to simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes, and then a further 20 minutes uncovered.
• Heat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
• Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan in slightly salted water for 15 minutes or until soft (test by sticking a knife into them).
• Drain the potatoes, tip them back in the pan and mash them with the butter, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper until creamy.
• Once the mince is ready, pour it into an oven proof dish and layer the mash on top.
• Drizzle with oil and bake for 20-25 minutes until the top has a slightly golden colour. Serving suggestion: enjoy with Worcester Sauce.

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[su_heading]Battered Fish & Chips[/su_heading]

Try our homemade recipe of Britain’s seaside classic. Our tip is to use fresh fish, but frozen is fine as well.

Ingredients (serves 4):

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• 750g potatoes cut into chip shape slices (1cm thick)
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 55g self-raising flour
• 300ml chilled lager
• 4 cod or haddock fillets
• 1 litre sunflower or vegetable oil

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Method:

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• Preheat the oven to 250C/gas 9 or its highest setting.
• Boil the cut potato slices in water for 3 minutes and drain.
• Tip the chips onto a roasting pan. Drizzle an even coating of oil over them and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes turning often until crisp.
• Turn the oven down to 130C/gas 1, leaving the chips in there.
• Sift the flour into a large bowl and add a pinch of salt. Whisk in the lager until you have a thick batter the consistency of double cream.
• Place the fillets on kitchen roll and pat dry.
• Coat the fillets with a thin layer of flour and then cover in thick batter.
• Heat the oil in a chip pan, thick bottomed saucepan or electric chip fryer until sizzling. Test it by dropping a small amount of batter in. It should crisp instantly.
• Carefully place each fillet into the oil and fry for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally with a large spoon until golden and crisp.
• Use the large spoon to remove the fillet, drain off excess oil and place it on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Pop it in the oven to keep warm with the chips while you fry the other fillets. Serve with peas and tartar sauce or vinegar.

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[su_heading]Scones[/su_heading]

An afternoon tea treat, served with jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea. Lovely!

Ingredients (makes about 8 scones):

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• 225g self raising flour
• 40g butter
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 ½ tablespoons caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 150ml milk
• 1 egg beaten with a little milk
• 50g sultanas (if you want to make fruit scones)

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Method:

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• Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7 and grease a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
• Sieve the flour and rub in the butter.
• Stir in the baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the sultanas if you want fruit scones.
• Rub the mixture with your fingertips to create what resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Make a dip or well in the centre using a knife and stir in the milk gradually to make a dough.
• Kneed with your hands lightly until the dough is smooth.
• Roll the dough on a floured board or clean, floured surface with a rolling pin to roughly 2cm thick.
• Use a 5cm circular cutter to cut rounds. Place them on the baking tray and brush with the beaten egg and milk.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and risen.
• Transfer to a wire rack and serve when cool with butter, jam and clotted cream and tea.

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[su_heading]Eton Mess[/su_heading]

Try this yummy summer pudding of strawberries, raspberries and meringue invented at Eton school near Windsor.

Ingredients (makes 6):

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• 3 large egg whites
• 210g caster sugar
• 250g strawberries
• 250g raspberries
• 1 pint double cream, whipped

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Method:

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• Grease a baking tray using greaseproof paper.
• Put the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until they make soft peaks. Add 175g caster sugar a little at a time and whisk until the mixture holds stiff peaks.
• Use a dessert spoon to put dollops of the mixture onto the baking tray. Place in the oven at 120C/gas 1/2 for 2 hours until crisp on the outside. Remove the meringues and leave to cool.
• Halve the strawberries and put them in a large bowl with the raspberries and 35g caster sugar.
• Roughly crush and squeeze the berries with your hand or in a blender until the juices begin to run. Cover and leave in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
• Break the meringues into rough pieces, add the berries and fold in the whipped cream.
• Serve in glass dishes within the hour so the meringue doesn’t go soft. Enjoy.

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