The 7 Most Popular & Classic Traditional British Dishes You ‘Must’ Try

If British cuisine has been derided over the years, it’s not because the recipes are flawed. It’s because people don’t understand them.

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We refer to sausages as “toads.” Offal is referred to as a “pudding” once it is wrapped in pastry and covered with gravy. We consume eels! No foolin’ eels, really!

To the uninformed observer, none of it makes any sense. However, whether it comes from England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, that is only one of the factors that makes British food so unique. Yes, you will find me advocating for the positive aspects of British cooking. Additionally, we’ve updated 7 classic British meals to honour the finest of British cuisine.

Therefore, our fresh versions of famous British recipes won’t let you down if you think cottage pie is a little outdated or if you’re eager for a new twist on Victoria sponge. Consuming British cuisine is more than just eating. Almost everything your eyes, palate, and intuition know to be correct and proper will be put to the test throughout this surrealist journey into a fascinating alternative reality.

Here are a few traditional British dishes:

Traditional British Dishes

Fish and Chips

Fish that has been battered and fried and eaten with chips is known as “fish and chips.” Fish and chips, which originated in England in the 19th century, are frequently regarded as the national food of the United Kingdom. The dish is now a popular takeaway item in many other countries, especially Commonwealth and English-speaking countries.

In the UK, fish and chip stores originally arose in the 1860s, and by 1910, there were more than 25,000 of them. By the 1930s, this had risen to over 35,000, but by 2009, it had fallen to about 10,000.

Both throughout World War I and World War II, the British government protected the supply of fish and chips. Its appeal was further enhanced by the fact that it was one of the few foods in the UK that was not rationed during the wars.

There aren’t many foods that more distinctly represent Traditional British Dishes than fish and chips. There is little disputing the charms of this reassuring staple, but occasionally it is to the detriment of Great British cuisine as an island that is frequently thought to exist solely on this dish by our mainland observers. This dish is incredibly nostalgic and comforting, with light, crispy batter encasing perfectly cooked fish, gorgeous golden chips, and a variety of traditional accompaniments.

Our beer batter contains Aonori. In addition to giving the batter a lovely flecked green look, the dried seaweed flakes significantly improve the flavour of the fish, giving your fish and chips a taste of the ocean. Triple-cooked chips that are crisp and golden as well!

𝖥ꪱᜒડ𝗁 & 𝖢𝗁ꪱᜒρડ 𝖱౿ɕꪱᜒρ౿ 𝖨𐓣𝗀𝗋౿ᑯꪱᜒ౿𐓣𝗍ડ

THE CHIPS – DIRECTIONS

ADD SALT TO THE FISH

Season the fish fillets thoroughly with salt, and place them back in the refrigerator for approximately one hour.

TIP: To guarantee that the batter is crisp, the fish must be as dry as possible. Salting the fish in beforehand will help to remove any extra moisture and firm it up a little. Additionally, it will guarantee that the batter has a good amount of seasoning in the fish.

Combine the two flours, baking powder, salt, and Aonori in a large mixing basin. Slowly pour in the bigger and whisk until the batter is smooth and about the consistency of double cream. Keep cold until you need it.

TIP: The batter will have a better texture if you prepare it the night before and let it rest in the refrigerator.

FIRST COOK

To remove the starch, place the chipped potatoes in a big bowl and run water over them for about a minute.

After moving the chips to a big skillet, add cold water, a generous amount of salt, and heat until they boil. Cook the chips for four to five minutes after they have boiled.

Drain the chips carefully, then place them on kitchen paper to absorb any remaining moisture.

Pour enough peanut oil into a saucepan to allow it to cook down to around 10 cm. The oil should be heated to 130ºC, or medium-low heat on the hob. Use a deep fat fryer instead; you’ll have more control over the temperature.

After adding the chips to the hot oil, cook them for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they have a light crust but no colour. Drain on kitchen paper after removing from the oil. You might have to work in groups.

SECOND COOK

Raise the oil’s temperature to 180 degrees Celsius, or medium heat on the hob.

Use kitchen paper to pat the cod fillets dry before dredging them in seasoned flour until the entire fish is covered.

Make sure the fish is fully submerged in the batter before dropping it in. Allow any extra batter to run off when you lift the fish out of the batter. Before releasing the fish, lower it halfway into the oil and keep it there for ten to fifteen seconds. It will sink to the bottom and adhere if you drop it directly into the oil.

The fish should be crisp and golden after 4–5 minutes of cooking. Drain the fish on kitchen paper after removing it from the oil. This might need to be done in batches.

Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining fish or finish the chips.

THIRD COOK

The oil should be heated to 180ºC, or medium heat on the hob.

Fry the chips in heated oil for three to four minutes, or until they are crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper after removing from the oil. You might have to work in groups. Add salt for seasoning.

EATING THE FISH & CHIPS

Serve the fish and chips with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, mushy peas, and perhaps some lager after adding some Aonori flakes to the fries.

English Breakfast

A full English is a hearty, valuable breakfast dish that is eaten in the UK and Ireland and is sometimes referred to as a “fry up”. Since they are so well-liked, full English breakfasts are essentially served all day morning.

It is occasionally called a “Full Monty” in the UK. One hypothesis regarding the term’s origins states that during World War II, British Army general Bernard Montgomery, also known as “Monty,” began each day with a “Full English” breakfast while on campaign in North Africa.

Back bacon, sausages (generally pork), eggs (fried, poached or scrambled), grilled or fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, black pudding, baked beans, toast or fried bread are all typical components of a traditional English breakfast.

More than 50% of ‘perfect’ Full English breakfasts, according to a 2017 YouGov survey, include the following: bacon, sausage, beans, toast or fried bread, eggs (fried, scrambled or poached), hash browns, mushrooms (fried or grilled) and tomatoes (fried, grilled or canned). Of the customary additions, black pudding was the least popular, being selected 35% of the time, while chips or sautéed potatoes were included by 26% of respondents.

Τ𝗋ɑᑯꪱᜒ𝗍ꪱᜒ𝗈𐓣ɑᥣ 𝖤𐓣𝗀ᥣꪱᜒડ𝗁 𝖡𝗋౿ɑƙ𝖿ɑડ𝗍 𝖨𐓣𝗀𝗋౿ᑯꪱᜒ౿𐓣𝗍ડ

How can I prepare a complete English Breakfast?

Creating a complete English requires a lot of multiple tasks, it requires some juggling and two pans. You’re able to do it!

1. Get the beans warm. In a small pot over low heat, open the can of beans and stir occasionally to reheat.
2. Sauté the bacon and sausages. Cook the sausages over medium to medium-low heat until they are browned and cooked through, flipping them as necessary, while the beans are warming. After pushing the sausages aside, add the bacon and cook, turning them over as necessary.
3. Put the black pudding in the pan and cook it, turning it over once. Over a low heat, keep everything warm in the pan.
4. Cook the tomatoes and mushrooms. Sear the mushrooms in a separate pan until they are caramelised and browned. Go to one side. Cut side down, add the tomatoes and sear them.

5. Cook the eggs and fry the bread. After removing the meats from the pan, cook the bread in the grease until it turns golden and crisp. In the same pan as the tomatoes and mushrooms, cook the eggs.

6. Serve and savour! Place the beans in the centre of the platter, followed by the bacon at 1–2 p.m., the sausages at 3 p.m., and the eggs at 6 p.m. Put on the blood pudding if you have it at eight, and then fill the rest of the plate with the mushrooms at twelve and the tomatoes at eleven. You can put fried bread on a side platter or tuck it in anywhere. Have fun!

Cottage Pie

Shepherd’s pie, also known as cottage pie or hachis parmentier in French, is a savoury dish made with cooked minced meat, mashed potatoes, and baked.

It was formerly known as Sanders or Saunders. Either freshly minced meat or already cooked beef may be used. Shepherd’s pie is cooked using lamb mince, while cottage pie is made with beef mince.

Although some authors maintain that a shepherd’s pie should contain lamb or mutton and a cottage pie should have beef, the phrases shepherd’s pie and cottage pie have been used interchangeably since the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

A reassuring classic that is unquestionably a staple in many British homes. We’ve made the decision to fold in some roast bone marrow to give our mash an additional layer of meaty richness, making it a sumptuous mash that is suitable for the best fillings underneath.

𝖢𝗈𝗍𝗍ɑ𝗀౿ 𝖯ꪱᜒ౿ 𝖨𐓣𝗀𝗋౿ᑯꪱᜒ౿𐓣𝗍ડ

Directions

• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook 1¼ kilogrammes of beef mince until browned; you might need to work in batches. As it browns, set aside.
• Add two finely chopped onions, three chopped carrots, and three chopped celery sticks to the pan with the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil. Cook over low heat for about twenty minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
• Add 3 tablespoons plain flour, 1 tablespoon tomato purée, and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves. Turn up the heat and cook for a few minutes before adding the meat back to the pan.

• Before adding the 850ml beef stock, 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, a couple of thyme sprigs, and two bay leaves, pour over a large glass of red wine, if used, and boil to reduce it slightly.
• Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes without cover. The gravy ought to be thick and covering the meat by now. After approximately half an hour, check; if there is still a lot of liquid, turn the heat up a bit to somewhat reduce the gravy. After adding enough of seasoning, throw away the thyme stems and bay leaves.
• Prepare the mash in the interim. Put the 1.8 kg of peeled and chopped potatoes in a big saucepan with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
• After thoroughly draining, let it steam-dry for a few minutes. Add the 225ml milk, 25g butter, and three-quarters of the 200g strong cheddar cheese and mash thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg.
• Transfer the meat to two ovenproof plates using a spoon. Cover the mash with a spoon or pipette. Top with the remaining cheese.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7 and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden, if you plan to eat it right away.
• Stir in the vegetables, flour, purée, wine, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and herbs with a little seasoning after browning the mince in batches if using a slow cooker. Cover and cook for 4–5 hours on High. Prepare the mash in the same manner as before, and then complete by oven cooking it in the same manner.

How should Cottage Pie be served?

Serve with our honey-mustard steaming green medley or some steamed broccoli and peas. Try this really decadent cottage pie.

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Sunday Roast

A Sunday roast, sometimes known as a roast dinner, is a traditional Sunday meal in England.

Roasted meat, roasted or mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and Yorkshire pudding are the main ingredients. You can also add condiments like mustard, cranberries, apple sauce, mint sauce, redcurrant sauce, cranberry sauce or horseradish sauce.

The beef and potatoes can be served with a variety of vegetables, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, parsnips, or peas, which can be boiled, steamed, or roasted. The Sunday roast is so ingrained in British culture that it was named second in a 2012 UK poll of the country’s favourite items. This dish is also known as whole roast, roast dinner, Sunday lunch, and Sunday supper.

Many people refer to the meal as a scaled-down version of a conventional Christmas supper. My recipe makes roast beef, roasted carrots and parsnips, the crispiest potatoes of all time, a creamy horseradish sauce, and a warm gravy for pouring over everything. It’s essentially a slightly pared-down version of traditional Christmas dinner. 

Yorkshire in the British Isles is where Sunday roast first appeared. It was intended to be a dinner consumed following a Sunday church service. The current Sunday roast gained cultural importance during the Industrial Revolution, despite its roots dating back to the Middle Ages.

As they prepared for church in the late eighteenth century, they would put a big cut of meat in the oven to roast. They would then add the vegetables right before they left. Dinner was almost done when their family returned from church.

It’s ambitious for sure, but with a little bit of planning, it’s entirely possible to pull it off by yourself.

𝖡౿౿𝖿 𝖱𝗈ɑડ𝗍 𝖨𐓣𝗀𝗋౿ᑯꪱᜒ౿𐓣𝗍ડ

How to Make Sunday Roast?

• Make the Horseradish Sauce: In general, you may prepare the horseradish sauce during any downtime in the cooking process, but I prefer to prepare it a day or two in advance to get it done and allow the flavours to mingle.
• While the Beef is resting, finish all of your preparations: Before roasting, the beef must rest at room temperature for one to two hours, giving you plenty of time to finish the remaining preparations. Slice every veggie. Until you are ready to boil them, place the Yukon Gold potatoes in a saucepan of salted water on the stove. Make the batter and refrigerate it until it’s time to bake if you’re making Yorkshire pudding from scratch.

• Roast the Veggies and Beef: Cook until the vegetables are soft and the beef is medium-rare (see this fast guide to beef internal temps for doneness).
• Bake and boil the Potatoes: Boil the potatoes until they are soft, then drain and shake to roughen the edges while the steak roasts. Arrange them on a baking sheet and drizzle them with duck grease (other possibilities are listed below). Turn the oven up and add the potatoes as soon as the steak is done.
• Make the Yorkshire pudding.: Bake the Yorkshire pudding as soon as the potatoes are out. Because they cook faster and are simpler to distribute when serving, I prefer to bake them in a muffin tin.
• Prepare the gravy: When everything else is almost finished, use the pan drippings to quickly make a gravy.

Additional Side Dishes to Serve with Sunday Roast

Oven capacity issues aside, here are some more side options to serve with your meal to mix and match.

• Peas. Simply boil frozen peas for an easy green addition.
• Steamed vegetables. Broccoli, cabbage, or green beans are a great way to round out the meal and don’t require precious oven space.
• Stuffing. Whether served in a baking dish or as stuffing balls (perfect for eating with Yorkshire pudding), it’s a flavorful addition.
• Cauliflower cheese. This vegetable dish, which sometimes includes broccoli as well, is baked in a creamy cheese sauce similar to a gratin.
• More condiments. Depending on the protein, English mustard, warm applesauce, red currant jelly, cranberry sauce, and mint jelly are all traditional toppings to serve alongside the meat.

Bangers and Mash

A classic British dish made with mashed potatoes and sausages is called “bangers and mash” or “sausages and mash.”

Often referred to as ‘Bangers and Mash’, sausage with onion gravy and mashed potatoes is one of the best comfort dishes. With a side of steamed veggies or peas to mop up the homemade gravy, this sausage dish makes a quick and simple supper. Although fried onions and peas may also be offered, the dish is typically served with onion gravy.

Even when prepared at home, this dish might be considered a type of pub grub because it is rather quick and simple to prepare in big numbers. In 2009, a survey conducted by TV channel Good Food revealed that the dish was the most favourite comfort food in Britain.

Why is it called Bangers and Mash?

The term “banger” has been used since 1919, despite the fact that it is sometimes claimed to have originated during World War II. It is stated that the phrase came from the fact that sausages created during World War I’s meat rationing were made with so much water that they were likely to explode when cooked.

The loving British expression for sausages and gravy-topped creamy mashed potatoes is “bangers and mash.” The term “bangers” relates to the sausages, which were so named because, in those days, they would explode when cooked unless you pierced them with a fork. They still do occasionally!

ᝪ𐓣ꪱᜒ𝗈𐓣 𝖦𝗋ɑ𝗏ɣ 𝖨𐓣𝗀𝗋౿ᑯꪱᜒ౿𐓣𝗍ડ

How to make Bangers and Mash?

1. Brown Sausages: In a skillet, brown sausages; once cooked, remove. Feel free to throw away part of the oil if there is too much in the skillet. However, in order to sauté the onions and create the gravy’s taste base, you should save at least 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of fat.
2. Saute Onion and Garlic: In the sausage grease, sauté the garlic and onion until they become transparent.
3. Heat off flour: Stir the flour into the mixture of onions and heat for a few minutes. This will cook off the flour’s rawness.
4. Add liquid stock or beef broth: The liquid will dissolve the flour that was added to the onion mixture. It will be liquid at first, but as it becomes hotter, it will thicken and take on the consistency of gravy.

Watch How to Make it

What to Serve with this?

Serving Bangers and Mash with anything other than creamy mashed potatoes is probably against the law in the UK. However, any type of rice—white, brown, jasmine, or basmati—as well as macaroni, polenta, quinoa, barley, and even couscous would be excellent.

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower is a fantastic substitute and surprisingly tasty in a low-carb emergency!

Anchovy Butter Roast Chicken

𝖠𐓣ɕ𝗁𝗈𝗏ɣ 𝖡υ𝗍𝗍౿𝗋 𝖱𝗈ɑડ𝗍 𝖢𝗁ꪱᜒɕƙ౿𐓣 𝖨𐓣𝗀𝗋౿ᑯꪱᜒ౿𐓣𝗍ડ

Directions

• Set the oven’s temperature to 425°F.
• While you prepare the anchovy butter, pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it with salt and plenty of pepper. Let it hang out.

• In a small bowl, mash the butter, minced garlic, and anchovies with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Spread this butter liberally over the chicken, getting inside all the nooks and crannies. I suggest using the butter beneath the skin as well, if you feel comfortable doing so.
• Stuff the herbs, lemon, and garlic halves into the bird cavity. After adding salt and pepper to the chicken and scattering the onions around it, roast it for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it begins to brown. After tossing the onions to cover them in whatever delicious oil has dropped from the chicken, lower the temperature to 325°F and roast for a further 30 to 35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the onions are golden.

• Remove the liquids and onions from the chicken and place it on a large serving tray or chopping board. If you want your onions softer and jammier, remove them at this stage as well. On the baking sheet, throw the bread in all the delicious fat and cooking liquids, making sure the pieces are soaking up all the leftover business. Preheat the oven to 425°F again (I know, it’s annoying, but do it anyway). To crisp up the bread, put the baking sheet back in the oven for ten to fifteen minutes. Serve this next to the chicken, with the parsley and roasted onions on top and all over.

Haggis

The liver, heart and lungs of a sheep (or other animal) are minced, combined with oatmeal and beef or mutton suet, and seasoned with cayenne pepper, onion and other spices to make haggis, the national dish of Scotland. A sheep’s stomach is filled with the concoction, which is then cooked.

According to English writer Gervase Markham (c. 1568–1637) in The English Huswife (1615), it was a popular meal in England for a long time, despite being considered a uniquely Scottish cuisine since the middle of the 18th century. However, its origins are far older, as references to similar dishes are found in Aristophanes, Marcus Apicius, and even Homer. The word “haggis,” which was first used in the 15th century, has no recognised origin.

Haggis is savoury, affordable, and filling. In the 21st century, haggis is served with some ceremony, including bagpipes, especially on Burns Night (held annually on January 25, Burns’s birthday) and Hogmanay, as the Scots call their New Year’s celebrations. In the past, haggis was regarded as a rustic dish in Scotland, and Robert Burns celebrated it in his poem “To a Haggis” (1786).

Turnips (also known as “swedes” or “neeps”) and mashed potatoes (also known as “tatties”) are typically served with haggis; the traditional beverage is Scotch whisky.

Traditional Haggis Ingredients

Directions

• Rinse with cool water the entire pluck. Cut away the windpipe and remove any big fat deposits.
• Transfer to a large pot and pour cold water over it. Keep the lungs immersed with a plate or lid because they float. Bring to a boil, periodically skimming the surface. Simmer gently for two hours.

• Using a slotted spoon or tongs, take the meat from the saucepan, then rinse it in cold water to get rid of any scum. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
• Put the cooking liquid back on the fire to reduce until you have about 500–1 litres of stock after straining it through a fine strainer. Let it cool.
• Dice the cooked heart and lungs finely as the stock reduces. Use the coarse side of the grater to grate the liver. Chop the trimmings finely. In a large bowl, combine with the muesli, spices and suet.
• After cooking the pluck, measure out how much stock is left and add cold water to make 1 litre. Add to the haggis mixture once cooled.
• Taste after pan-frying a tablespoon of the mixture for two to three minutes to confirm the seasoning. If necessary, add more salt, pepper, or spice.
• After the ox bung has been cleaned and soaked, spoon the haggis mixture into it. Keep a little bung at each end and pack loosely because the filling swells while cooking.
• Once the haggis reaches the desired size, squeeze out any excess air, knot with twine, and cut with scissors.

• Continue stuffing after tying the bung’s new end. Any extra haggises should be frozen.
• Use a needle to puncture the haggis multiple times before cooking. Put it in a pan with cold water and heat it until it boils. Simmer for one and a half hours. The internal temperature should be at least 74°C when it’s ready.
• Serve with swede and mashed potatoes. Or tatties and neeps.