Tea time cakes and scones – If there is anything as delightful as an English accent it has got to be an English tea party. Hosting elegant high tea parties may not be a status symbol anymore, they defiantly are a fun thing to do! Sitting around pretty center tables laden with finger foods like tea sandwiches, scones, biscuits, tarts, muffins and cupcakes, sipping cups of warm tea, is easily one of the best way to spend afternoons. Host your own English themed tea party and you will see why this feels like royalty!

Yorkshire pudding – What’s not to like about poofy, airy pastry popovers made from pancake like thin batter that go perfectly well with most kinds of meat. Add some creamy mashed potatoes to this combo and you are in gastronomical heaven. It isn’t really child’s play to make to make a perfect traditional Yorkshire pudding, but it is completely worth it! Try making a mini version of these using muffin moulds and you’re sure going to get a thumbs up at your next Sunday lunch.
 

Fish and chips – While no one really knows how this delightful combination of crisp batter fried fish and potato chips came together, we are really glad it did! In England most chippies (fish and chip shops) use fillets of fresh cod coated in a luscious beer batter and fried to golden brown crisp perfection. These are served along a side of potato chips that give you a crunch when you bite into it and then surprise you by melting in your mouth. Serve these up the continental way with mayo or tartare sauce or eat it the original British way with a sprinkling of salt and vinegar.

Shepherd’s pie – Also known as a cottage pie, a shepherd’s pie is a mincemeat and vegetable pie topped with mashed potatoes. Traditionally made with beef or lamb mince this pie is something which every household in Britian has their own recipe for, and all claim theirs to be the best! You can make an equally yummy shepherd’s pie using chicken; in fact you could even try this recipe for a vegetarian version of it. You can also try fitting in all the flavours and ingredients of a shepherd’s pie to make little mince and potato croquettes or tikkis.

Chicken Tikka Masala – The origins of a chicken tikka masala are still under debate but the way it has managed to capture the hearts and taste buds of the Brit population, is beyond any dispute. While succulent pieces of fiery grilled chicken kababs in a creamy tomato masala doesn’t really scream British food, they have managed to tweak the recipe enough to suit the English palate. So go on and try this recipe for what is one of the contenders to be the ‘national dish of England’!

English cuisine is a mix of influences of several culinary cultures, try making these recipes the classic way or try tweaked up versions of traditional dishes. All this and more on www.SanjeevKapoor.com