Mince Pies, Toad in the Hole & Other Oddities

Last week I was in for a bit of a shock when D requested 'faggots' for dinner. I'd never heard that term used in America except as a derogatory, anti-gay remark, but I knew D doesn't share the beliefs of those who use the word that way, so I was puzzled. It turns out that faggots are a kind of English meatball made from some leftover pig. I didn't think I could handle chopping up pig heart, belly and liver, so we opted to buy a 4-pack of pre-made faggots from the neighborhood butchers. We baked them for about 50 minutes, and served them with baked potatoes (called 'jacket potatoes' in the UK) and mushy peas. They were in fact very similar to meatballs, but tasted a little too gamey for me so I don't think I'll ever eat them again.

Since it's now the holiday season, we've been seeing mincemeat pies everywhere in the supermarkets. They look like mini apple pies, but are filled with something that tastes a bit like the filling in American Fig Newton cookies. In Victorian times, the pies originally contained actual meat, but now the only meat element is suet (a hard fat found around beef or sheep liver), and most pies now use vegetarian versions of suet. I've read that the 'mincemeat' filling is actually made from a mixture of various nuts, currants, raisins and spices, along with some brandy, but have not made the filling from scratch yet. Here's a recipe from the BBC if you are keen to try it out for yourself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/christmasmincemeat_8893.shtml

Another classic English pub dish that I've seen on menus everywhere is Toad in a Hole. Apparently it's nothing more than a few sausages baked in a Yorkshire pudding-type pastry, but the name is so intimidating that I've never tried it. It is usually served with an onion gravy and vegetables. D has a Gordon Ramsey cookbook with a recipe I plan to try, but I also saw this one on the BBC website that looks pretty basic: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/beefsausagetoadinthe_86522.shtml.

When it comes to cooking other strange English foods, I've experimented a bit more in the dessert category since I don't usually eat that much meat. I have yet to try cottage pie, fisherman's pie, or anything containing liver, but I have made treacle tart with clotted cream (a shortbread pastry crust with a syrupy, breadcrumb filling), rhubarb crumble, a pomegranate pavlova, and a chocolate chip bread pudding from scratch.

I'll include an actual Guide to English Foods in another post soon with a list of American equivalents for strange UK foods, or definitions of those items I haven't come across in America at all.

Here's the recipe for Treacle Tart that I found on the BBC website:

Treacle Tart

Ingredients

For the sweet pastry
250g/9oz plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
175g/6oz butter, plus extra (melted) for greasing
75g/2¾oz icing sugar
2 free-range egg yolks
1 tbsp cold water
For the filling
150g/5oz day-old brown or white bread, crusts removed
650g/1lb 7oz golden syrup (like corn syrup in US)
150g/5½oz unsalted butter
1 free-range egg
50ml/2fl oz double cream (heavy cream in U.S.)
2 lemons, zest only
large pinch salt
clotted cream or double cream, to serve

Method

For the sweet pastry, in a bowl, rub together the flour and butter using your fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the icing sugar, egg yolks and cold water and mix until the mixture comes together as a dough. Wrap the dough in cling film, then chill in the fridge for two hours, to rest. Grease a 23cm/9½in loose-bottomed tart case with melted butter, then dust with flour, gently knocking out any excess. Meanwhile, line a baking tray with greaseproof paper and place the prepared tart case on top. Once the pastry has rested, discard the cling film and roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to a 4-5mm thickness. Lift the rolled pastry by rolling it loosely around the rolling pin, then lower it into the prepared tart case and press into the tart case to mould it to the sides and bottom. Trim off any excess pastry using a sharp knife. Chill the tart case in the fridge for a further 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. When the tart case has rested, remove it from the fridge and prick the base several times using a fork. Line the base and sides of the tart case with greaseproof paper, then fill it with baking beans. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crisp and pale golden-brown. Discard the greaseproof paper and baking beans. For the filling, blend the bread in a food processor until it has formed breadcrumbs. Set aside. Heat the golden syrup and butter in a pan over a low to medium heat until the syrup and the butter has melted. Set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and cream until well combined. Pour in the syrup and butter mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and salt until well combined. Pour the filling mixture into the cooked pastry case, then return the tart to the oven and cook for a further 40-45 minutes, or until the filling is dark golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes before serving to allow to cool slightly. Serve warm, with clotted cream or whipped cream.