While perhaps foreign to many American palates, beef tongue was a popular breakfast (or even lunch) dish for the Victorian and Edwardian English. It"s likely that many of the Downton Abbey staff felt they would swallow their own tongues in their attempts to stay silent at some of the gross misbehavior of their employers. Boiled beef tongue is a very lean and very fine-grained meat, thus making it not just extremely tender, but very nutritious.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
1 fresh beef tongue 2 medium onions, chopped 2 large carrots, chopped 4 celery stalks, chopped 4 sprigs parsley 14 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons capers, drained In a medium-sized pot, add beef tongue, vegetables, and parsley. Cover ingredients with water. Boil uncovered for 3124 hours.
Remove tongue from pot; don"t worry if it appears discolored. Remove the skin from tongue, slicing the skin lengthwise and peeling it back. Though you shouldn"t find any gristle or small bones, if you do, remove them as well.
Slice tongue. Serve cooled with mustard and capers.
Times Gone By Before the British discovered the joy of beef tongue, the Paleolithic hunters sought it out - along with its fatty counterparts such as trotters (feet), brains, or marrow. Although tongue is mainly a dish served to the middle and lower cla.s.ses, even the upper cla.s.s would have enjoyed this delight.
Breakfast Baked Beans
No full English breakfast is complete without baked beans in tomato sauce served on toast! It"s easy to imagine Mr. Bates or Mr. Carson slathering these beans on a piece of bread before hurrying to help their masters. Baked beans on toast continued to be a European breakfast staple over the years and is still enjoyed today.
YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced 1 teaspoon chili flakes 1 tablespoon light brown sugar 1 teaspoon honey 12 cup tomato paste 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 2 cups chicken stock 1 teaspoon kosher salt 12 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced and toasted Preheat oven to 350F. In a 4-quart ovenproof dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Using a wooden spoon, sc.r.a.pe any browned onion bits from side of pot.
Add garlic, rosemary, and chili flakes, and let cook for 2 minutes. Mix in brown sugar, honey, and tomato paste, stirring thoroughly to combine. Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock, followed by salt and pepper.
Stir in beans. Cover pot and cook in oven for 1 hour or until beans are softened to desired consistency. Serve over toast.
Times Gone By While this recipe requires you to make your own beans, most English folk would make breakfast easy on themselves by using a can of Heinz Baked Beans or Branston Baked Beans. Heinz Baked Beans were originally made with pork, a practice that stopped due to rationing during World War II. Nonetheless, during Downton Abbey"s time, canned beans, while likely acceptable for the staff to eat, would not be chosen over Mrs. Patmore"s own special recipe.
O"Brien"s Black Pudding
Also known as Blood Pudding, this British dish - traditionally consisting of pork blood, oatmeal, and sometimes onions - would normally be served for breakfast but could also be offered at lunch or even dinner. It"s not hard to imagine the spiteful O"Brien (who perhaps has more of a heart than she"s willing to let on) enjoying this dish as she harbors ill-will toward the Countess of Grantham... feelings that would eventually vanish after the horrible accident with the misplaced soap.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
4 cups fresh pork blood 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 cup whole milk 2 large onions, chopped 12 ounces suet, shredded 12 cup oatmeal 1 teaspoon nutmeg 14 teaspoon oregano 14 teaspoon basil 14 teaspoon rosemary 12 teaspoon cayenne pepper Prepared sausage skins (optional) 12 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter (optional) 14 cup vinegar (optional) Preheat oven to 300F.
Pour blood into a deep pan, keeping cool. Stir in salt.
Slowly stir in milk, onions, suet, oatmeal, herbs, and spices. Pour blood mixture into prepared sausage skins, or else pour into a large ovenproof dish such as a dutch oven.
Bake sausage skins or dish, covered, in a water bath for 1122 hours. Alternatively, cover and steam blood mixture in a large saucepan for the same amount of time.
Allow sausages to cool, then slice. Fry sausages in b.u.t.ter if desired, or serve with vinegar.
Times Gone By This dish is considered a delicacy in the English Black Country (hence the name) and in the English North West, especially in Lancashire, which is also the home of the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships. While this dish is incredibly popular in England, variants can also be found throughout Europe in Germany, Austria, and even France. Asia and Spain also offer a type of black pudding, though their versions use rice instead of the oatmeal found in most European versions.
Chapter 10.
A QUICK LUNCH BETWEEN BUSINESS.
The servants would take their lunch - which they referred to as dinner - at midday, long after the aristocrats ate their own lunch. This would be the most filling meal of the servants" day. Whereas lunch for the upper cla.s.s was not a large or formal affair, the servants" own lunch (also known as dinner) had a rigorous etiquette. The staff would stand around the table until their superiors sat down; the butler (Mr. Carson) and housekeeper (Mrs. Hughes) would sit at the heads of the table. Men would be allowed to drink three pints of beer with their dinner, while women were not allowed more than two. Nonetheless, this would be a great period of respite (and likely, venting) for the servants before the rest of the long workday.
Cla.s.sic Cornish Pasty
It is likely that at least one of the many workers at Downton Abbey hails from Cornwall, and that this pasty - often lauded as Cornwall"s national dish - would be beloved by any of the Downton Abbey servants, Cornish or not. The pasty, British slang for a pie made with meat, dates back all the way to the 1300s, and was actually originally a dish meant for the wealthy. By the 1600s, however, members of the working cla.s.s were also enjoying this dish, as it could be easily eaten while on the go.
YIELDS 6 CORNISH PASTIES.
For Pastry 214 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 ounces cold, unsalted b.u.t.ter, cut into pieces 4 ounces lard, cut into pieces 1 large egg yolk 6 tablespoons cold water For Filling 114 pounds rump roast, diced 2 small yellow onions, finely chopped 1 potato, cut into 14-inch dice 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 large egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons whole milk For pastry sh.e.l.l: In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Using your fingers, knead the b.u.t.ter and lard into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coa.r.s.e bread crumbs.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and water, then add to flour mixture. Mix thoroughly until dough just forms. Knead until pastry is smooth. You should be able to manipulate dough without breaking it, but the dough should also retain its texture. Press into a flattened disc shape and wrap in plastic. If pastry breaks while rolling it out, add a bit more water. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Unwrap dough and roll out until it is 14-inch thick. Cut out six circles, each about 56 inches in diameter. Stack the pastry rounds onto pieces of parchment paper (with pieces between each round to prevent sticking) and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
Preheat oven to 400F.
For filling: In a medium to large mixing bowl, combine meat, onions, potato, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed.
Remove pastry sh.e.l.ls from refrigerator. Place on a clean surface, then place about 1412 cup of filling to one side of the center of each pastry. Using the beaten egg, brush the edges of the pastry and then bring the unfilled side over to cover the filled side so edges meet. Press edges together and seal, then crimp with a fork. Repeat with remaining pasties.
Brush all pasties with remaining egg. Cut several slits into the top of the pasties. Bake for 25 minutes or until pasties are golden brown around edges. Reduce heat to 350F. Continue baking until pasties are completely golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Times Gone By On July 20, 2011, the Cornish pasty was given the "Protected Geographical Indication" status by the European Commission. According to the commission"s strict guidelines, an authentic Cornish pasty should be shaped like a D and crimped on one side, but not on the top. Ingredients must include uncooked beef, turnip, onion, and potato, along with a seasoning of salt and pepper. This status also means that Cornish pasties must be prepared (but not baked) in Cornwall, causing a major change for many supermarkets and cafes that offered their version of a "Cornish Pasty" outside of this locale.
Yorkshire Pudding
Yorkshire Pudding was an excellent and affordable way to fill up on a meager budget. Often, Yorkshire Pudding was served before a less-than-filling meal as a way to stave off hunger. While not enjoyed by the upper crust, Yorkshire Pudding - along with a side of jam or cream - is the kind of snack that Mr. Mason would serve to Daisy during her after-Christmas visit.
YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 112 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 34 cup whole milk, room temperature 3 eggs, room temperature 12 cup water 12 cup unsalted b.u.t.ter, cut into pieces In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the dry mixture, then pour in the milk, whisking thoroughly. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Pour dry mixture into a blender, then add water. Blend until the mixture is light and frothy. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, covered.
Let batter warm up to room temperature before using. While batter warms up, preheat oven to 400F.
Place b.u.t.ter in a 912-inch baking pan in oven and cook until sizzling, at least 5 minutes. Pour the batter over the melted b.u.t.ter and bake for 30 minutes or until the sides have risen and are golden brown. Cut into 68 portions and serve immediately.
Times Gone By The history behind this dish is long and storied. When wheat became a viable option for cooking cakes and other batter-related dishes, cooks up in Northern England, fans of the "waste not, want not" philosophy, developed a way to use the fat drippings from roasting meat to make a batter pudding. The Yorkshire Puddings served at Downton Abbey were flatter than they are today, though the Royal Society of Chemistry issued a proclamation that a Yorkshire Pudding was not a true Yorkshire Pudding if it was less than 4 inches tall. While this recipe does not use beef drippings, beef drippings can easily be subst.i.tuted for the b.u.t.ter.
Tom Branson"s Guinness Corned Beef
Even the Earl of Grantham - who is likely not the biggest fan of the Irish, thanks to Tom Branson running off with the earl"s daughter - would enjoy this Irish cla.s.sic every now and then. That said, this dish is likely to be eaten more by Tom Branson and his coworkers than by the Crawleys, as it is unlikely the aristocrats of Downton Abbey would want to be seen eating something as plebeian as a sandwich.
YIELDS 16 SERVINGS.
4 pounds corned beef brisket, rinsed and patted dry 1 cup packed light brown sugar 23 (12-ounce) bottles Guinness stout (or other Irish stout beer) Preheat oven to 300F.
Place corned beef brisket on a rack in a large dutch oven. Rub brown sugar all over the corned beef, coating completely. Pour Guinness stout all over and around beef, until beef is thoroughly soaked and submerged in beer.
Cover dutch oven and gently place in preheated oven. Bake for 2123 hours and serve hot.
Times Gone By Perhaps the most obvious time to cook this dish would be St. Patrick"s Day, which was celebrated by the Irish as early as the ninth and tenth centuries. However, St. Patrick"s Day would not become the festive holiday that we now know and love until many, many years later. The United Kingdom did not declare St. Patrick"s Day to be an official holiday until 1903, and Britain"s first St. Patrick"s Day parade was not held until 1931.
Spicy Pub Fish and Chips
This cla.s.sic British dish dates back to the 1800s, with the first "chippie," or fish and chips shop, appearing in the early 1930s. Fish and chips was one of the most popular meals during World War I, as it was available to all regardless of wealth. Nonetheless, it was lower- and middle-cla.s.s families more than the aristocracy who ate this dish. It is likely that Mr. Bates partook in a version of this dish in the pub where he hid out for a few days.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS.
For Chips (Fries) 1 gallon safflower or vegetable oil 4 large Russet potatoes, or any floury potatoes For Batter 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 14 teaspoon lemon pepper Dash cayenne pepper 1 bottle dark beer, such as Mann"s Brown Ale or Sierra Nevada Brown Ale Dash Tabasco sauce 112 pounds firm-fleshed white-fleshed fish such as cod, cut into 1-ounce strips Cornstarch for dredging Malt vinegar for serving Heat oven to 200F.
Heat the oil in a 5- to 6-quart dutch oven over high heat until it reaches 320F.
Slice potatoes with skin on using a V-slicer. Place in a large bowl of cold water.
In a separate large bowl, make batter: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper, lemon pepper, and cayenne pepper. Slowly whisk in the beer and Tabasco sauce until the batter is smooth and free of lumps. This may take a while, just keep whisking. If the batter feels too thick, thin with water. Refrigerate for 1530 minutes.
Drain potatoes, removing any excess water. When oil in dutch oven reaches 320F, submerge potatoes in the oil. Working in small batches, fry potatoes for about 3 minutes or until edges are just golden. Remove from oil, drain, and cool to room temperature.
Increase oil temperature to 375F. Fry potatoes again, in batches, and cook until crisp and golden brown, about another 3 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on a roasting rack. Season with kosher salt while still hot, then hold in oven.
Allow oil to turn back down to 350F. Dredge fish strips in cornstarch, then again working in small batches, dip the fish into batter and immerse into hot oil. When batter is set, turn pieces of fish over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain fish on roasting rack or paper towel, and serve with malt vinegar and salt.
Times Gone By Before safflower oil or vegetable oil were used for frying, it was common to make fish and chips using beef drippings or plain old lard. While Americans would likely flavor this dish with mayonnaise or tartar sauce, the English would choose to stick with malt vinegar and salt. This dish would typically be served with Mushy Peas (see Chapter 11).
Pub Grub Bangers and Mash
This traditional English dish, composed of mashed potatoes and sausages, is often found at British pubs. While the Crawley sisters likely wouldn"t be familiar with such food, most of the staff that keeps Downton Abbey running would know this filling dish quite well and would perhaps partake on their days off.
YIELDS 68 SERVINGS 8 large Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered 2 tablespoons unsalted b.u.t.ter 1412 cup whole milk Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 112 pounds beef sausage 12 cup diced onion 1 teaspoon rosemary 1 teaspoon oregano 1 garlic clove, minced 14 cup mushrooms, sliced 1 (.75-ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix 1 cup water Preheat oven to 350F. Place potatoes in a saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook potatoes until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain, then mash with 4 teaspoons of the b.u.t.ter and enough milk to reach a creamy consistency. Continue mashing until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until heated through, about 35 minutes. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside. Add remaining b.u.t.ter to skillet, and add onion, rosemary, oregano, garlic, and mushrooms. Stir until tender. Whisk together gravy mix and water as directed on packet, then add to skillet with onion and mushrooms. Simmer, stirring constantly, to form a thick gravy.
Pour half of the gravy mix into a medium-sized ca.s.serole dish so that the bottom is coated. Place sausages in a layer over the gravy, then cover with remaining gravy. Top with mashed potatoes.
Bake bangers and mash uncovered in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned.
Times Gone By According to the Oxford English Dictionary, while many believe that the term "bangers" had its origins in World War II, the phrase was in use at least as far back as 1919. Apparently, before World War I, "bangers" were referred to by upper-crust Victorians as "little bags of mystery" because people suspected the sausages were filled with horsemeat. Once World War I began, however, there was a dramatic reduction in the production and farming of meat due to war rationing, so producers stuffed their sausages with cereal and water, which caused them to pop, hiss, and "bang" when cooked over fires in open trenches - hence their name.