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England: Recipes and Cuisine

Country | England Image

The butt of endless jokes over the centuries, English cuisine has a reputation of overcooked vegetables, endlessly boiled meats, stodgy puddings and of generally beating the life out of a dish. Not fair! British cooking has enjoyed a renaissance in the last decade or so, with many world-class chefs reclaiming traditional dishes and leading a return to an artisan-based food culture.

English Recipes

Angels on Horseback

Appetizers | Angels on Horseback

(English bacon-wrapped oysters appetizer)

Angels on horseback were a favorite British Victorian after-dinner nibble. The name apparently comes from the way the curled bacon looks like angels wings. I don't know about that, but the popularity of these delightful appetizers flew across the Pond around the turn of the 20th century, and they are still popular at weddings and celebrations in the American Northeast. Read more »

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Ingredients | Brussels Sprouts

(English roasted Brussels sprouts with cheese sauce)

Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. Undercooked they can be bitter. Overcooked they turn into nasty mush. But if you cook them just right they have a tender, nutty sweetness that will make you a convert. This recipe pairs Brussels sprouts with a delicious cheese sauce in an easy-to-prepare dish. Read more »

Bubble and Squeak

Breakfast | Bubble and Squeak

(English fried potatoes and cabbage)

Bubble and squeak gets its name from the sound it makes as it is cooking. It is a popular breakfast or supper dish in England, made from the leftovers of a roast beef dinner, and often served with bacon and eggs. Also known as "bubble and scrape" or "fry up." Read more »

Cornish Pasties

Meats | Cornish Pasty

(English beef and vegetable pies)

Pasties — handheld pies with a savory filling — have been enjoyed in Europe since the Middle Ages. But the Cornish pasty, from the English County of Cornwall, is the most famous of all. This meal-in-one classic was a favorite of Cornish coal miners of old, and it now enjoys protected status by the European Commission. To qualify, a Cornish pasty may contain only beef, potatoes, rutabaga and onion. No carrots please! Read more »

Fish and Chips

Fish | Fish and Chips Image

(English batter-fried fish with fried potato wedges)

As simple as it is satisfying, fish and chips is classic English street food. The first chip shop opened in London in the mid 19th century, and by the 1930s the shops were located in towns all over England. Fish and chips is classically served in a rolled up newspaper with a sprinkling of salt and a shake or two of malt vinegar. Read more »

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Desserts | Gingerbread Men Cookies

(English spiced Christmas cookies)

Spiced breads have been popular in Europe reaching back to the time of the ancient Romans and Greeks. Germans have their lebkuchen and gingerbread houses. The English have traditionally shaped ginger-scented dough into men, animals and Father Christmas for the holidays. This recipe is always a favorite with kids. Read more »

Mulled Wine

Ingredients | Cinnamon Image

(English spiced wine)

Mulled wine, as this warm spiced wine is known in England, is popular throughout northern Europe around Christmas. In France this warming winter beverage is known as vin chaud, in Italy as vin brûlé. Germans drink Glühwein. The Swedish name for it is glögg. Read more »

Murgh Tikka Masala

Poultry | Murgh Tikka Masala

(Indian chicken masala curry)

Murgh tikka masala is an easy curry made with ingredients found in most American and British kitchens. And there's a reason for that: it was probably invented in Scotland! Never mind that. Tikka masala is now popular around the world. Read more »

Roast Prime Rib

Meats | Roast Prime Rib Image

(English roast rib of beef)

Originally an English Sunday dinner made with a cheap cut of meat, prime rib these days is more often a special occasion meal made with top-quality cuts. It is commonly served in American steak houses or on buffets, often from a cart where it is carved to order. Read more »

Roast Turkey with Pan Gravy

Poultry | Roast Turkey Image

(American holiday turkey)

Turkey is so central to American Thanksgiving that the holiday is often referred to as Turkey Day. The two-step roasting method  in this simple recipe produces a golden-brown turkey with moist breast meat. Roasting the turkey breast-side-down forces juices into the white meat of the breast that might otherwise dry out — the ultimate Turkey Day fail. Read more »

Scotch Eggs

Appetizers | Scotch Eggs

(Scottish hard-boiled eggs wrapped in sausage)

Scotch eggs are a popular snack and picnic food in Scotland and throughout the U.K. Hard-boiled eggs are wrapped in sausage, breaded and fried. Definitely not diet food, but oh so satisfying! Read more »

Shepherd's Pie

Meats | Shepherd's Pie

(English-Irish meat pie with mashed potato topping)

Shepherd's pie is a traditional and satisfying British and Irish meal of meat and vegetables topped with creamy mashed potatoes and baked until bubbling and browned. The dish is called "shepherd's pie" when made with ground lamb. Use ground beef and it becomes "cottage pie." Read more »

Suffolk Red Cabbage

(English braised red cabbage; see Blaukraut recipe)

Summer Pudding

Desserts | Summer Pudding

(English berry and bread dessert)

I say! What a perfectly smashing summer sweet! Juicy berries are encased in slices of white bread that soak up the juice and turn a brilliant reddish purple. Fresh, seasonal berries are key for this elegant dessert to work properly. So reserve it for the summer like its name says. Read more »

Summer Pudding

Dessert | Summer Pudding

(English berry and bread dessert)

What a perfectly smashing summer sweet! With summer pudding, juicy berries are encased in slices of white bread that soak up the juice and turn a brilliant reddish purple. Fresh, seasonal berries are key for this elegant dessert to work properly, so reserve summer pudding for its namesake season. Read more »

Yorkshire Pudding

Breads | Yorkshire Pudding Image

(English savory puff pudding)

Yorkshire pudding is the traditional accompaniment to a roast prime rib dinner. Popular not just in Yorkshire but throughout England, Yorkshire pudding was traditionally made by pouring the batter into a roasting pan and cooking it along with the meat. Baking it in the same pan after the roast has been removed captures all of the flavor, but lets you cut out a lot of the fat. Yorkshire pudding is often topped with a gravy or pan jus. Read more »