Susan's Place Transgender Resources

What are the best five or so UK foods? 

What do just so much enjoy eating?  Can you prepare it yourself?

I grew up in Cape Town South Africa and a lot of the food in that part of the country has a heavy British influence. Traditional Sunday roast (lamb or beef) for lunch, cottage pie, sausage rolls, meat pies - especially steak & kidney, fish and chips, and various stews (tomato stew, cabbage stew and while named after the Irish I'd say Irish stew as well) all come to mind.

My mother was an excellent cook in the kitchen. Boy oh boy do I miss her food.

Dishes wise it's really really hard to narrow it down to 5. I like traditional british comfort food so I'll go for:

Steak and ale pie
Sticky toffee pudding and custard
Cottage Pie
Roast Dinners
Mince and dumplings

I'm a simple girl!

If I'm feeling adventurous:

Beef wellington
Rabbit and black pudding pie
Game casserole
Balti curry (much prefer this uk curry to tikka massala)
Rhubarb crumble and custard
Apple or cherry pie

All the above I can cook.

If I'm at the coast then it has to be takeout fish and chips

I do like to experiment with other world foods too but the question was for British

Ingredients wise:

Black pudding
Scottish langustines
Scottish Salmon
Venison
British Lamb
Haggis
English Mustard
Piccalilly

There's loads.

Quote from: Stottie Girl on Today at 05:14:38 PMIngredients wise:

Black pudding
Scottish langustines
Scottish Salmon
Venison
British Lamb
Haggis
English Mustard
Piccalilly

There's loads.

I heard about the langustines.  Are they like a lobster in a way?

I actually do not known much about any of those foods except venison but I can do Web searches.

I have heard of fish and chips.  But that really means fries?

I like fruit pies and the cottage pie.


I never had Stargazy pie, have any of you?

Toad in the Hole
Scotch Eggs
Roasties cooked in goose fat
A bacon and egg butty


And... a toasted ham and cheese Stottie Cake. Or as we call them in Yorkshire, Scufflers. ;)

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on Today at 05:21:46 PMI have heard of fish and chips.  But that really means fries?

Not really, no. What we call fries are the things you get from a fast food place like McDonalds. The thin cut, obscenely salted things. Chips are... something different. They're far more chunky, and fluffy inside. Sometimes fried twice, or even three times to make them very crispy on the outside. It's a bit of a science, haha.

These are what we call fries:

(https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.6e3c087dbca4d57f45bc5aba20c80700?rik=2SeYkY5CGC%2fj%2bA&pid=ImgRaw&r=0)

These are chips:

(https://waitrose-prod.scene7.com/is/image/waitroseprod/899681_A_01?$Waitrose-Image-Preset-95$&wid=586)

It is odd I suppose that I always search out the longest fries and eat them first.

Steak and  kidney pudding
Shepherds pie
Corned beef hash
Fish and chips
Bacon butty with brown sauce

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on Today at 05:18:36 PMI heard about the langustines.  Are they like a lobster in a way?

Sort of mini lobster things, yes I suppose.

I have had corned beef hash.  Little bits of potatoes and meat.  Always had it from a can, then heated.

Shepherds pie
cottage pie
scotch eggs
fish and chips (and I don't even like seafood)
Haggis is nice
Clotted cream oh my gosh this is so good
cucumber sandwiches are really nice
a good Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding
bone marrow is ok but not something I would order just for myself

I'm sorry to say that I tired a deep fried mars bar and I have no intention of ever putting that in my mouth again

The problem is I grew up with so many dishes that I don't see them as British

Chips from a chippy are often cooked in beef fat too they are distictly different to french fries and the fish is in a fantastic beer batter. I would be surprised if you can get proper fish and chips over there though it sounds like Courtney may have.

Stargazey pie is a cornwall thing only and even there I doubt many people have had it. I would definitely stay well clear, it's up there with Jellied eels for me! urrgh!🤮

Lauren and Kim have great suggestions too. A good scotch egg is a lovely thing. Never had a toasted ham and cheese stottie before, will have to rectify that. I normally stuff them with bacon and black pudding or ham and pease pudding. Stotties aren't normal buns for the uninitiated. Greggs the bakers used to sell mini triangular stotties that they called Scufflers.

There is a little downtown fish and chips cookery in Flagstaff, Arizona that bills itself as having authentic UK fish and chips, and other authentic UK foods.  The place is maybe six feet wide. I think it is called Evan's. 

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on Today at 06:03:23 PMThere is a little downtown fish and chips cookery in Flagstaff, Arizona that bills itself as having authentic UK fish and chips, and other authentic UK foods.  The place is maybe six feet wide. I think it is called Evan's. 

Give it a try and post some pictures Chrissy!

My mum used to make a delicious corned beef and potato pie. Because stewed steak was ludicrously expensive. Fray Bentos stole her idea, and did it worse. You have to use short crust pastry. Not puff pastry. And the crust has to be at least an inch thick, to soak up the gravy.

Maybe that's just a me thing, haha. ;D

Quote from: Sephirah on Today at 06:12:49 PMMy mum used to make a delicious corned beef and potato pie. Because stewed steak was ludicrously expensive. Fray Bentos stole her idea, and did it worse. You have to use short crust pastry. Not puff pastry. And the crust has to be at least an inch thick, to soak up the gravy.

Maybe that's just a me thing, haha. ;D

Nope, not a you thing, I love a good corned beef and potato pie too. It's paupers food really, like so many of the UK dishes but they are so delicious. Our food definitely has an unfair reputation.

Puff pastry for pies is only acceptable on steak pies or fish pie but even then I prefer short crust.

Quote from: Stottie Girl on Today at 06:08:18 PMGive it a try and post some pictures Chrissy!

I did.  I ate their fish.  My only connection with them is a past customer.  I do not live in their city. 

I found their Web site.  Look at what they sell, scroll down there and see the menu and the many pics and videos.  There is a "more" button to see more.  Are their prices about what would be paid in the UK? 

https://evansfishandchips.com/

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on Today at 06:24:05 PMI did.  I ate their fish.  My only connection with them is a past customer.  I do not live in their city. 

I found their Web site.  Look at what they sell, scroll down there and see the menu and the many pics and videos.  There is a "more" button to see more.  Are their prices about what would be paid in the UK? 

https://evansfishandchips.com/

For the cod and chips, yeah roughly. Depending where you live in the UK. Down south it's far more expensive than up north, but $15 (£11) seems about right these days.

Battered sausage and chips for $14 is insanely expensive though.

Well the chips look like they could be authentic so it could be real.

You wouldn't normally see trout or shrimp (prawns) in a typical UK chippy and there are some oddities but all in all, colour me impressed!

I've checked my local chippy who do a large cod and chips for £16.50 which is $21.84 in US money so depending on the size of the fish over there you're getting a much better deal.

Quote from: Sephirah on Today at 06:33:52 PMFor the cod and chips, yeah roughly. Depending where you live in the UK. Down south it's far more expensive than up north, but $15 (£11) seems about right these days.

Battered sausage and chips for $14 is insanely expensive though.

Think I'm getting ripped off up here then. I need to shop around a bit!

Quote from: Stottie Girl on Today at 06:38:04 PMWell the chips look like they could be authentic so it could be real.

You wouldn't normally see trout or shrimp (prawns) in a typical UK chippy and there are some oddities but all in all, colour me impressed!

I've checked my local chippy who do a large cod and chips for £16.50 which is $21.84 in US money so depending on the size of the fish over there you're getting a much better deal.

Yikes! £16.50?

Did they find Nemo or something? That's definitely way over the odds, at least compared to my neck of the woods.

Another UK Fish and Chips place is GB's in Denver (apparently they have multiple locations).

Here is its Web site, with pictures and menu. 

https://gbfishandchips.com/

I know, and I'm nearer the coast than Sheffield! North Shields is only 6 miles away and that is a fishing port. We should be getting it dirt cheap.

Apparently you can pick most major cities in the USA and search for UK fish and chips and you will find many.  Seattle is one with lots.  But there are a lot of fish eateries in Seattle as it is. 

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on Today at 07:04:14 PMAnother UK Fish and Chips place is GB's in Denver (apparently they have multiple locations)

Here is its Web site, with pictures and menu. 

https://gbfishandchips.com/

It's close but slightly off. Strange colour beans, chips don't look quite right, pies look a bit odd. Sausage rolls and bangers look good and they actually have a haddock option. Shepherds pie looks aneamic, is that uncooked?

Quote from: Stottie Girl on Today at 07:05:32 PMI know, and I'm nearer the coast than Sheffield! North Shields is only 6 miles away and that is a fishing port. We should be getting it dirt cheap.

I had to double check the website of my nearest chippie because I wondered if I just hadn't had it in so long that the price had doubled, haha. But no, their cod is £8, and the chips are £3. So Chrissy's place seems about on par. That's crazy. You're getting ripped off, Sarah!

Maybe she is going to a fancy upscale restaurant?


Also I do not know when these two USA eateries posted their menu prices.  It could be current, maybe not.

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on Today at 07:04:14 PMAnother UK Fish and Chips place is GB's in Denver (apparently they have multiple locations).

Here is its Web site, with pictures and menu. 

https://gbfishandchips.com/

I agree with Sarah. Those beans look more like chilli. A very odd colour.

A for effort, but I think probably ran by people who have never had the original foods they're selling.

Quote from: Sephirah on Today at 07:19:35 PMI had to double check the website of my nearest chippie because I wondered if I just hadn't had it in so long that the price had doubled, haha. But no, their cod is £8, and the chips are £3. So Chrissy's place seems about on par. That's crazy. You're getting ripped off, Sarah!

Yep I've just checked Amble harbour fish and chip shop (one of the best around) and they're charging £9.50 for large cod and £2.90 for large chips so £12.40. Not going local again, They are taking the mick.

Can you make these fish and chips at home?