British Side Dish Recipes for the Holidays

Being married to a man who is British and having lived both in the United Kingdom and here in the United States, I have had the pleasure of partaking in Christmas traditions from both cultures. One thing I have really grown to love about the United Kingdom is their food. At our house, since we celebrate Thanksgiving in the US we make British meals at Christmas time. It makes for a nice change every year to have something a little different. I thought I would share some traditional British side dishes for the holidays with you. If you are looking for something a little different this year, try some of these recipes, they are sure to be a big hit.

Yorkshire PuddingYorkshire Puddings originate from England and are traditionally served with gravy poured over top. They can also be served with butter and jam. We generally use these in place of rolls at our dinner table.bacon drippings or oil
1 cup milk
2 eggs, well-beaten
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 425. Combine well-beaten egg and milk; beat till light. Gradually beat in flour and salt; beat till smooth. Let stand 30 minutes. (You can skip this step, but I find it helps if the mixture is not too cold.) Place 1 tsp of oil in six muffin tins, use a brush to coat them. Place the muffin tin into the over to heat well. Watch them so they don't smoke though! Once the pan is heated, take out and add the mixture. Fill muffin tins ½ to ¼ full; do not overfill as they will puff up. Place into oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

The trick is to have the fat and oven very hot. Don't open the oven to check on them, use the oven window to view. Serve immediately.

Potato Scones

Potato scones don't resemble what you may think of as a traditional scone (pronounces "scon"). These are more similar to a potato pancake and originate from Scotland.

2 cups warm mashed potatoes (leftovers are fine)
3 TBS melted butter
2/3 cup flour
½ tsp salt

Blend the potatoes with the butter in a mixing bowl. Stir in as much of the flour as the potatoes will take without becoming too dry. Turn out on a floured surface; roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into circles; prick tops with a fork.
Heat a greased skillet over medium-high heat. Cook scones until brown on one side, about 5 minutes.
Turn; cook to brown other side, 5 minutes.

English Roasted Potatoes

Crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. Goose fat makes the very best roasted potatoes, but the cooking method is more important than the fat used.

1-2 potatoes per person
Goose fat, beef drippings, or oil

Preheat oven to 375. Peel potatoes and cut into preferred size (quarters work well). Put fat or oil into roasting pan and place in oven to heat up (about 15 minutes). Parboil potatoes about 5-8 minutes in boiling water until soft but not cooked all the way through. Drain well and pat dry. Place potatoes into roasting pan and put back into oven. Cook for 40 minutes turning once or twice to brown potatoes evenly until golden and crispy on the outside.

These recipes are sure to be a big hit for the holidays and it's wonderful to try something a little new!