Pub food
putodding
UK cuisine favors
commonsense comfort food
AN EMPIRE OF EXTRAORDINARY culinary
offerings is an apt description for the
lands of England, Wales, Scotland and
Northern Ireland. It is here that teas and chutneys
from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) share the kitchen with
Indian mulligatawny (curried) soup, Scottish haggis
(stuffed sheep’s stomach), roast beef and Yorkshire
pudding, steamed Sussex pond pudding, Stilton
cheese and Cumberland sauce.
The Brits, full of practicality, tradition and
passion for savory delights, steer their palates
toward wholesome tender meats, fresh fish and
seasonal vegetables. The irregular, craggy coastline
and numerous rivers and lakes offer a plethora
of finfish such as cod, haddock, whiting, herring
(preferably salted and smoked for kippers), sole,
salmon, pike, perch and trout as well as lobster,
crab, clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. Beef,
most notably Aberdeen Angus, lamb, wild game,
poultry, new potatoes, tiny peas, young carrots,
cucumbers, onions, parsnips, cabbage, cereals,
cheeses and fruits such as berries and apples round
out the basic pantry. Not to be forgotten are English
ales and Scottish whiskies.
