A Full English Breakfast Experience

Or should I say "Experiment"?

This move has quite literally been one stressor after another. If not one thing, then two things come up that could potentially cancel our orders. All of us have had a medical issue, at some point or another, since receiving the orders, that we thought for sure was going to prevent us from going. Then there have been military issues for my husband: passing a PT test (this is a feat in and of itself even when you don’t have orders depending on it), passing a medical evaluation, and today, qualifying on his weapon. (Which means, he had to demonstrate, in several positions, wearing a suffocating gas mask, that he could accurately shoot a target with an M16). He did pass, or “qualify,” thankfully. But there are still a few more hurdles between now and boarding the plane.

Next on the to-do list: obtaining Visas! The UK requires any foreigner staying in the country for more than six months to obtain a Visa, including US military members and dependents. This will be an interesting experience!

So I promised y’all (an unmentionable amount of time ago) that I would try out a Full English breakfast and report back. Well I finally got around to that this past weekend. (Yay me!) For this British dish, I again turned to The Guardian’s Word of Mouth blog. I like their site because they provide (sometimes comical) background commentary along with the recipes.

An exact recipe was not really required for this dish, which made it easier to tackle.

Unfortunately, an important staple of the “Full English” is missing from my rendition: Black Pudding. There are two reasons for this. One: while it may be available somewhere in the US, it is not available (and rarely heard of) anywhere near the small Southern state from which I hail. Two: it sounds absolutely revolting and, if I could have found it and purchased it, I wouldn’t have because I wouldn’t have eaten it.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Black Pudding (or Blood Pudding), it is a type of sausage “made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled” (wikipedia.com). If that sounds appetizing to you, please feel free to add it to your version of the Full English (everyone makes their own version, apparently).

Also, real English back bacon is not available near me either. Therefore, I had to substitute with regular “American” bacon. The British-preferred back bacon is, obviously, a different cut of pork. It more closely resembles ham (in pictures) rather than the strip bacon we use here in the States. Also, it is noticeably leaner (and doesn't shrink nearly as much).

The bacon (in any form, really) is a typical item on American breakfast plates, as well as the eggs and toast. The mushrooms, tomatoes, and beans, staples in most Full English breakfasts, were a new-fangled taste for my "breakfast buds."

I was admittedly surprised with the mushrooms, cooked according to The Guardian’s recommendations: sautéed in butter, seasoned with salt and thyme. They turned out to be very tasty and not altogether un-breakfasty.

The tomatoes. I was not impressed with the tomatoes. And that really could be my fault. From researching several versions of this breakfast, I found that many people cook their breakfast tomatoes differently. Many choose to grill them. I do not have a grill anymore so I chose to season and roast them (again, per The Guardian’s instruction.) They did not turn out well and were not a welcomed flavor for breakfast.

I would never have thought to include them in my breakfasts. The only time I eat tomatoes is on pasta or salads...

 

Heinz beans were recommended so Heinz beans I procured. However, there were several flavors available and Word of Mouth does not specify what flavor to use so I was left to my own devices. I went with the “Bacon and Brown Sugar” variety because, well, it was bacon-flavored. The other two options were “Chipotle BBQ” and “Ketchup something.” I feel pretty sure that I either did not get the right kind or the “right kind” was unavailable.

In any case, baked beans are not a breakfast food in the States. At least, not in the South, where I am from. We eat baked beans at times like cookouts, barbecues, and picnics.

The tea (yes, I did add milk) was a welcome change to my normal breakfast beverage: coffee. I chose an “English Breakfast” variety from Twinings. It really hit the spot and accompanied the breakfast well.

I know that my own experience cannot compare with the real thing that I hope to try in England (except the Black Pudding). The departure date is getting so close, I can hardly stand the excitement!


(Read about the follow-up here.)

 

My First British Recipe Experiment

My First British Recipe Experiment: Yorkshire Puddings!

First of all, let me tell you a little secret about me: I love food and I love to cook (but not clean!) I enjoy trying new recipes so I am really excited to start this part of getting ready for the move.

Now, “What are Yorkshire Puddings,” you say? Well, as misleading for Americans as the name is, they are not what we call “pudding” at all (as my daughter matter-of-factly informed me as she watched them rise in the oven). Another term for them is “popovers,” and- if I had to compare them to something- I would say they are very close to “rolls” here in the US. They play much the same role (from what I’ve read) in English dishes. It seems they are most popularly paired with roast, so this is how I served them as well.

As I was preparing to assemble the ingredients, I encountered a small obstacle that I hadn’t considered when I found the “Yorkie” (not the dog) recipe I decided to try: metric measurements. I have probably the same basic understanding of metric measurements that most of America has (which isn’t much, I’m sad to say). Metric units that pertain to cooking are measured in weight, whereas American cooking measures by volume, known as US Standard. (Did you know there is a “Standard” and then there is “US Standard”? Talk about complicating things!)  This presents a challenge since the two are very different units of measurement. But the biggest problem came in with the recipe being in metric measurements and my measuring utensils being in standard.

So before I could even begin, I had to figure out how to convert the recipe’s metrically measured ingredients into measurements my American Standard measuring cups and spoons could handle. And also converting Celsius to Fahrenheit for the oven temperature. Thank you, Google! (Note to self: When you get to England, get new kitchen utensils!)

After researching recipes, I settled on this recipe from The Guardian’s “Word of Mouth” blog. There is an interesting little history of Yorkshire Puddings on this page, as well. Best part about this recipe was the short list of ingredients!

Preheat oven to 230C/446F (I used 450F.)

12-hole muffin tin

2 C AP Flour (orig. recipe called for 250g. Roughly 2 Cups.)

150 ml whole milk (I actually had this measurement on one of my Pyrex glass measuring cups)

150 ml cold water

4 eggs, beaten

"Generous pinch of salt" (I used Kosher, as I do for most everything.)

Beef Drippings, or Oil

Sift together the flour and salt into the bowl you will be using to mix everything together. In a separate container, combine the milk and water and set it aside.

 Next, make a well in the flour and add the eggs. Begin whisking the ingredients together, adding the milk/water mixture gradually until you get a "smooth batter." (Mine was about the consistency of pancake batter. Maybe a tiny bit thicker.)

 Let the batter rest at room temp for 15 minutes. While you are waiting, drop about 1/2 tsp of beef drippings (or oil, if using. I skimmed the fat off the top of my roast and used it) into each hole of the muffin tin and pop this into the oven to heat up (about ten minutes.) 

 When this is done, pull the tin out and ladle in the "pudding." According to the recipe's website, it should sizzle when it hits the hot tin.

Pop the tin into the oven for 15-20 minutes to let them rise. Do NOT open the oven while they are cooking. They will deflate! When they are done, eat immediately!

Shown here with the Open-Face Roast Beef Sandwiches we had with our Yorkies. They were excellent at mopping up gravy!

I read on the recipe's website that there is some debate over how many eggs to use. I have to tell you that this recipe produced some very "eggy" tasting Yorkies. I have nothing to compare them too, but this is not a desirable taste for me. So, next time I will adjust to use less eggs!