Traditional British Food

What is the best British dish?

  • Sunday Roast

    Votes: 5 71.4%

  • Fish and Chips

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Steak and Kidney Pie

    Votes: 1 14.3%

  • Sticky Toffee Pudding

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Afternoon Tea

    Votes: 1 14.3%
  • Total voters
    7
karadekoolaid

karadekoolaid

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What is the best British dish?
Traditionally, we Brits have been slammed because our cuisine is "simple". Typically, meat and 2 veg. And yet, simplicity is beauty, is delicious. Think of a Sunday lunch; an absolute must for a British family. Roast beef (obviously cooked to perfection) with crispy, to-die-for roast potatoes and parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, tender baby carrots, nutty Brussels sprouts, tender cabbage; what's not to like about that?
Afternoon Tea. Delicate, tasty sandwiches with one or two ingredients (roast beef & horseradish, egg & cress, Cheddar cheese & chutney, ham & cheese. And then scones with cream and strawberry jam. Delicate Victoria sponge.
If you want a really good start to the day? 2 sausages, 2 fried eggs, baked beans, fried bread, mushrooms, and a slice or two of black pudding.
For dessert? Apple pie (yes, we invented it), rhubarb crumble, Eton mess, lemon posset, spotted dick, bread & butter pudding, sticky toffee pudding - what's not to like there?
 
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You forgot to put the "I haven't the foggiest idea" option. Have I heard of them? Yes, of course. Have I eaten them? Nope. Now I've been to British and Irish style pubs here in the US where they've served fish and chips and it was ok but not great, which leads me to believe it wasn't done properly. Also wouldn't be fair to compare it to the other fare in the poll I've not eaten.

Oh and I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but a spotted dick isn't something most Americans would want to put in their mouths. Yes, I know what it isn't. But whoever named that should be tarred and feathered. Or given 20 lashes. Or something.
 
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I can’t pick one dish. They’re all essential. I could drop the sticky toffee pudding in favour of steamed syrup sponge though.
Hungry now! 😂
If it was desert island discs and I could only have one it would have to be Sunday Roast.
It has so much more going for it than just the meals components. It represents a tradition of family and togetherness, there’s a lot of comfort and joy in a Sunday roast. I suppose it’s like a mini Christmas dinner every sunday.

Even if you went to a pub for your sunday roast rather than cooking it yourself (one of the great services pubs provide) everyone is generally mellow and cheery, happy to be getting their roast and eating with friends n family.
You’ll never see any brawling on a Sunday lunch time!

It’s also versatile from the point of view the dishes you serve can vary. There’s usually a large joint of meat but not always, it can be a side of salmon or a vegetarian nut roast type thing.
There can be a second potato offering of any description, a dauphinoise, a little herby parmentier, a fondant potato or even just mash, wherever your imagination takes you.
There’s a generosity to a Sunday Roast, it’s automatically implied, you don’t get that with other meals.

But there must always be roast potatoes. Without roast potatoes it’s not a Sunday Roast.
Roast potatoes are the make or break item of a sunday lunch.
Anything else on the plate will be forgiven for not being wonderful but the potatoes must be golden crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside or you’ve failed!
Gravy or the sauce you’re serving is the other component of a Sunday Roast that must be good.
So long as you master roast potatoes and gravy you have yourself a successful Sunday Roast.

I also like how the vegetable dishes you serve change to whatever is in season or whatever takes your fancy.
I use Sunday lunch to introduce new dishes I’m not familiar with.
Serving an extra dish for people to try whilst ensuring the usual loved veg options are on the table is a good way to gauge if it’s a winner or not because if it’s liked folk go back to for a bit more of it.

When I’m asked what’s for Sunday lunch there’s always a little glimmer of excitement in the eyes of the asker waiting to hear what loveliness is coming but no-one asks about pudding until they’ve eaten too much and when they do it’s out of curiosity because they know they can’t fit anything else in for at least half an hour.
They’ll always be an audible groan when you reply which I love because it means “Oh no I’m full but I’m going to have to have some of that” 😂

It is a production, you do use a lot of pots and roasting trays. The washing up is large and you will spend a good few hours making it and clearing up but the rewards are high so it’s worth every ounce of effort it takes.

Viva Sunday Roast.
 
I mean I'm glad I don't really have to choose, because I love almost everything on that list and sunday roast is a firm favorite. However I can't imagine life without afternoon teas so that wins for me. Can't beat a good scone!
 
karadekoolaid said:
What is the best British dish?
Traditionally, we Brits have been slammed because our cuisine is "simple". Typically, meat and 2 veg. And yet, simplicity is beauty, is delicious. Think of a Sunday lunch; an absolute must for a British family. Roast beef (obviously cooked to perfection) with crispy, to-die-for roast potatoes and parsnips, Yorkshire pudding, tender baby carrots, nutty Brussels sprouts, tender cabbage; what's not to like about that?
Afternoon Tea. Delicate, tasty sandwiches with one or two ingredients (roast beef & horseradish, egg & cress, Cheddar cheese & chutney, ham & cheese. And then scones with cream and strawberry jam. Delicate Victoria sponge.
If you want a really good start to the day? 2 sausages, 2 fried eggs, baked beans, fried bread, mushrooms, and a slice or two of black pudding.
For dessert? Apple pie (yes, we invented it), rhubarb crumble, Eton mess, lemon posset, spotted dick, bread & butter pudding, sticky toffee pudding - what's not to like there?
Click to expand...

I have always been a fan of British food and still I am. Sadly it is pretty underrated. I love and eat every Brit dish that the UK has to offer when I’m in the UK and I am happy like that.
British cheese is one of my fave and so your desserts
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic said:
I can’t pick one dish. They’re all essential. I could drop the sticky toffee pudding in favour of steamed syrup sponge though.
Hungry now! 😂
If it was desert island discs and I could only have one it would have to be Sunday Roast.
It has so much more going for it than just the meals components. It represents a tradition of family and togetherness, there’s a lot of comfort and joy in a Sunday roast. I suppose it’s like a mini Christmas dinner every sunday.

Even if you went to a pub for your sunday roast rather than cooking it yourself (one of the great services pubs provide) everyone is generally mellow and cheery, happy to be getting their roast and eating with friends n family.
You’ll never see any brawling on a Sunday lunch time!

It’s also versatile from the point of view the dishes you serve can vary. There’s usually a large joint of meat but not always, it can be a side of salmon or a vegetarian nut roast type thing.
There can be a second potato offering of any description, a dauphinoise, a little herby parmentier, a fondant potato or even just mash, wherever your imagination takes you.
There’s a generosity to a Sunday Roast, it’s automatically implied, you don’t get that with other meals.

But there must always be roast potatoes. Without roast potatoes it’s not a Sunday Roast.
Roast potatoes are the make or break item of a sunday lunch.
Anything else on the plate will be forgiven for not being wonderful but the potatoes must be golden crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside or you’ve failed!
Gravy or the sauce you’re serving is the other component of a Sunday Roast that must be good.
So long as you master roast potatoes and gravy you have yourself a successful Sunday Roast.

I also like how the vegetable dishes you serve change to whatever is in season or whatever takes your fancy.
I use Sunday lunch to introduce new dishes I’m not familiar with.
Serving an extra dish for people to try whilst ensuring the usual loved veg options are on the table is a good way to gauge if it’s a winner or not because if it’s liked folk go back to for a bit more of it.

When I’m asked what’s for Sunday lunch there’s always a little glimmer of excitement in the eyes of the asker waiting to hear what loveliness is coming but no-one asks about pudding until they’ve eaten too much and when they do it’s out of curiosity because they know they can’t fit anything else in for at least half an hour.
They’ll always be an audible groan when you reply which I love because it means “Oh no I’m full but I’m going to have to have some of that” 😂

It is a production, you do use a lot of pots and roasting trays. The washing up is large and you will spend a good few hours making it and clearing up but the rewards are high so it’s worth every ounce of effort it takes.

Viva Sunday Roast.
Click to expand...

My dad loved his treacle sponge.
 
My favourites:

Full English, Irish, Welsh or Scottish breakfast
Kippers
Arbroath smokies
Brown shrimps (includes potted shrimp)
Laverbread
Haggis
Suet dumplings
Any type of steamed pudding
Welsh rarebit
Faggots
Stilton and many other types of British cheese
Steak and kidney pudding
Cornish pasty
 
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Morning Glory said:
My favourites:

Full English, Irish, Welsh or Scottish breakfast
Kippers
Arbroath smokies
Brown shrimps (includes potted shrimp)
Laverbread
Haggis
Suet dumplings
Any type of steamed pudding
Welsh rarebit
Faggots
Stilton and many other types of British cheese
Steak and kidney pudding
Cornish pasty
Click to expand...

Good thing dinner is almost ready, your list is making me hungry
 
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