The meals consumed by the English can be best described as 'hearty'. Its composition has been influenced by its global ties throughout history, such as the era of the British Empire. Traditional English meals are simple and without complex sauces. Bread, cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and game pies, vegetables, soups and fish still remain the core basis of the food the English prepare on a daily basis. Curries from India and Stir-Fries from China are a firm favourite in England, as well as adaptations of recipes from Thailand, Italy, France and Spain. Here are a selection of meals which range from everyday meals to ones prepared for special occasions.
BREAKFAST
The average English person would normally consume toast and cereal for breakfast. Toast is made up of sliced bread, toasted on each side until golden brown. It is then spread with either butter or margarine (this can be done thickly or finely according to personal preference) and then a final topping of either Jam or a savoury spread such as peanut butter or marmite is added. Everyone makes toast slightly different. My partner likes to have the toast buttered as quickly as possible so that the bread is still warm when eaten. Whereas I prefer to wait until it has cooled a little so that the toast remains crispy and the butter hasn't melted into the bread too much. Cereals are a grain based product. They are served in a bowl with either cold or hot milk, sometimes yoghurt. The most popular brands of cereal in England are Cornflakes, Weetabix, Cheerios, Coco Pops, Musli or porridge.
120g Porridge Oats
700ml Milk or Water
Put the Oats and Milk (or water) into a pan and cook on a medium heat for about 3 minutes. If the consistency gets too thick add more milk or water. Once thickened poor the contents into a bowl and serve with Milk and some sugar or Jam, honey, bananas or maple syrup.
The ultimate breakfast tradition is The Full English Fry-Up which is served across the whole country, either in the home or in pubs, restaurants and cafes. Its so popular that pubs and cafes will serve it all day, and its called an 'All Day Breakfast'. There are many components to the 'Full English Fry-Up', the majority of which is fried, hence the name. It will take about 30 minutes to cook and it comprises of the following ingredients:
Bacon, Sausages, Eggs (fried or scrambled), Black Pudding (made from pig's blood - this is not always included), Tomatoes, Mushrooms (again optional according to personal preference), baked beans and bread (either toasted or fried). Some people, like myself, will also include a variety of potato product such as Hash Brown's or Potato Waffles.
The meal is served as pictured and usually with a selection of condiments such as Tomato Ketchup or Brown Sauce. This meal isn't healthy and should be regarded as a treat. There are healthier ways of cooking the meal. The bacon, sausages and tomato can be grilled and the bread can be toasted instead of fried.
