Baby British Sausage Rolls (aka Pigs in Blankets)

Too simple? Perhaps. Not fancy enough? Perhaps. Delicious? You betcha. These little snacks have been pleasing the British for centuries - so who are we to argue?

Ingredients

• 1 package turkey or pork breakfast sausages (not the fully cooked kind)
• 1 package puff pastry sheets
• 1/2 cup steak sauce
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• flour

Directions

1. Let pastry defrost on counter about 20 minutes before using
2. Make a lengthwise slice in each sausage and remove casing
3. Cut pastry sheets into 3 sections, and lay one section on a floured work surface
4. Use rolling pin or bottle to make sheet section a little thinner and longer
5. Place 3 sausages (without their casings) end to end on pastry sheet
6. Roll sheet over sausages into a long snug tube, and cut off excess pastry
7. Cut each tube into 8 pieces and place on lightly greased baking sheet (you can use parchment or wax paper instead if you like)
8. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown
9. Mix steak sauce and jam and use as dipping sauce

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Welsh Rarebit (aka fancy Cheese on Toast)

Serves 4 as an appetizer

THE best cheese on toast EVER, recommended by Kate, a lovely British woman. 

INGREDIENTS

• 6 slices bacon, uncooked and chopped

• 1/3 cup diced green onions

• 2 tablespoons butter + plus extra for bread

• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 3/4 cup whipping cream

• 6oz grated white cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup dark beer

• 1 teaspoon each smoked paprika, garlic powder & cayenne

• Kosher Salt

• Fresh black pepper

• 8 thick slices crusty artisan bread

• sprinkle flat leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in a medium pot medium heat in a medium pan until about 1/2 way cooked - then add green onions and cook 2 minutes

2. Add 2 tablespoons butter, and when it melts add flour, whisk well and cook 2 minutes

3. Then add mustard & Worcestershire, then gradually add the cream, cheese, beer and spices - stir until smooth and beautifully thickened

4. Butter the bread, grill or broil until golden

5. Ladle over the cheese sauce, garnish with pinch more paprika, some black pepper and parsley

Cullen Skink (hearty Scottish soup)

Serves 6

Cullen is a small town in Scotland and home to this delicious fish chowder.  But it’s traditionally made with smoked haddock that I couldn’t find, so I used smoked salmon and it was fricking delicious. 

Try it mate, I think you’ll love it. 

Recipe donated by a proper British person, Kate (my assistant Georgie's Mum) who lives over the pond, in the smallest city in England, called Wells (see video below).

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1lb smoked salmon (or smoked haddock)
• ½ stick/55g butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into a medium dice
• 1 large leek, cleaned, sliced lengthwise and chopped into half rounds
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup bacon, cooked/crispy/crumbled

DIRECTIONS 

1. Put the milk, half a dozen parsley stems and bay leaf into a small pot and simmer about 5 minutes
2. While it cools, put 1 tablespoon each butter & olive oil in a small pot and with the onion & leek – cook about 5 minutes until nicely softened
3. Break up salmon, add to milk and continue to simmer about 5 more minutes – then strain and add milk and salmon to the onions & leaks
4. Carefully stir in mashed potatoes – you don’t want to break up the salmon too much
5. Add salt and pepper as needed and serve topped with bacon & chopped parsley.

THE BRITISH CULPRITS THAT DONATED THE RECIPE, GEORGIE & KATE, FROM ENGLAND.

Cottage Pie

This is the 'Dog's Bollocks' (which means "The Best" in British slang). Make it once and you'll be converted into a British food lover forever. It's the ultimate comfort food and an easy family meal pleaser.

And, this dish is originally from Ireland, making it is perfect to feed a big hungry mob for St. Pat's Day, to soak up that Guinness!

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 small can tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 300
2. Boil a large pot of salted water add potatoes and cook until tender, drain, mash and then stir in 4 tablespoons of the butter and 1 cup of the cheese, set aside
3. Cook ground beef in a large pan until just cooked through - remove to a bowl
4. Using the same pan, heat oil and add onion and carrots - cook until just softened, 5-7 minutes
5. Stir in flour and remaining butter, mix well to form a thick kinda paste & cook for 2 minutes more then add the tomato paste, beef broth, parsley, cooked vegetables, ground beef & season with salt and black pepper to taste - be sure to mix well
6. Grease a large 9'' x 12'' oven proof dish, add the ground beef mixture and top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

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WATCH ME COOK THIS...

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Spicy Baked Scotch Eggs

Makes 6

This is a baked (and still delicious) version of the normally deep-fried pub treat.

Ingredients

• 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Wrap each egg with approximately 1/6 of the sausage, making sure there are no gaps
3. Coat with flour, shaking off excess
4. Dip in egg and then in the bread crumbs
5. Put on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes, or until crispy and cooked through
6. Slice open and enjoy