E for England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom.It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. Most of England comprises the central and southern part of the island of Great Britain in the North Atlantic. The country also includes over 100 smaller islands such as the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight.

The area now called England has been settled by people of various cultures for about 35,000 years,] but it takes its name from the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes who settled during the 5th and 6th centuries. England became a unified state in AD 927, and since the Age of Discovery, which began during the 15th century, has had a significant cultural and legal impact on the wider world. TheEnglish language, the Anglican Church, and English law—the basis for the common law legal systems of many other countries around the world—developed in England, and the country's parliamentary system of government has been widely adopted by other nations. The Industrial Revolution began in 18th-century England, transforming its society into the world's first industrialised nation. England's Royal Societylaid the foundations of modern experimental science.

FOOD

English cuisine encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with England. It has distinctive attributes of its own, but also shares much with wider British cuisine, largely due to the importation of ingredients and ideas from places such as North America, China, and India during the time of the British Empireand as a result of post-war immigration.

Since the Early Modern Period the food of England has historically been characterised by its simplicity of approach and a reliance on the high quality of natural produce. This, in no small part influenced by England's Puritanheritage, resulted in a traditional cuisine which tended to veer from strong flavours, such as garlic, and an avoidance of complex sauces which were commonly associated with Catholic Continental political affiliations.

Traditional meals have ancient origins, such as bread and cheese, roasted and stewed meats, meat and gamepies, boiled vegetables and broths, and freshwater and saltwater fish. The 14th century English cookbook, theForme of Cury, contains recipes for these, and dates from the royal court of Richard II.

Other meals, such as fish and chips, which were once urban street food eaten from newspaper with salt and malt vinegar, and pies and sausages with mashed potatoes, onions, and gravy, are now matched in popularity by curriesfrom India and Bangladesh, and stir-fries based on Chinese and Thai cooking. Italian cuisine and French cuisine are also now widely adapted. Britain was also quick to adopt the innovation of fast food from the United States, and continues to absorb culinary ideas from all over the world while at the same time rediscovering its roots in sustainable rural agriculture.

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Roast Beef and 4 Veg Gratin
Roast Beef:-

1Kg roasting beef joint at room temperature

Chopped fresh rosemary (2 tbl spoons)

Chopped fresh Thyme (2 tbl spoons)

Salt and pepper

2 Red onions halved

2 Garlic cloves

Olive Oil

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup of water

Methodology:-

Preheat oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6

Rub oil into joint of beef

Spread rosemary and Thyme across a board or clean surface and roll joint over until covered

Season well with Salt and pepper

Add baking dish for beef to hob and heat up.

Add beef and sear until nicely brown and crispy on all sides of beef.

Add onion and garlic to baking dish and 1/2 cup of water

Cook in oven for 40 mins and remove beef

Rest for 10 mins and it's ready to carve

In the meantime add the oven dish with juice and caremalised meat and onion back on hob

Heat up on hob again and add the wine, continually scrapping all the flavours off base of pan

Do this until the sauce reduces to a thick tasty gravy.

Siv into pourer and its ready.

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4 Veg Gratin

4 Medium Potatoes

1 Small sweet potato

1 Medium carrot

1 medium Parsnip

1 red onion diced

2 Garlic cloves grated

1 knob of butter

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and pepper

350ml single or double cream

Grated cheddar

Parmesan

Methodology:-

Heat oven to 220°C/Gas mark 7

Butter small deep baking tin

Slice up Potato, sweet potato, parsnip and carrot into small thin pieces

Add sliced veg to baking tin then add onion, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Add cream and stir then add knob of butter on top and put in oven for 30 mins

Remove from oven and stir in some of the grated cheddar

Then add rest of cheddar and some parmesan on top

Return to the oven for 40 mins and done.

Newcastle & London Eye

Drunk Monkey