I know I already did a post on the Oxford diet, but I thought it best to reflect on all of the wonderful food I got to taste these past couple of months. I also made the Oxford Diet post early in the semester so this will be a much more complete look at the foods I ate while abroad.
Fish and chips. No British pub is complete without their own version of fish and chips (and by version I mean the batter they fry the fish in). The better pubs fry their fish in batters made from their own brew of ale. These you can trust to be delicious. The first fish and chips I ate ever was my first week at CMRS when a group of us went to the Eagle and Child (est. 1650). For my first pub, it was a great experience. Great people and great food make for an unforgettable evening. The best fish and chips I had though has to be the one at Chequers (est.16th century). This historical pub offered a delectable plate of fish and chips that I enjoyed immensely. Any respectable pub that offers a good plate of fish and chips provides a good crispy slice of fish served on top of a bed of freshly made chips (fries). This must be served with a wedge of lemon for the fish as well as a side of peas (mashed or whole). I fell into the British tradition a bit and became addicted to salt and vinegar chips so I always added that to my plate.
Bangers and mash. I have to start off by saying I had never heard of this before coming here. I was headed off to the Three Goats Head for a meal with some friends and someone suggested trying the bangers and mash. I had NO idea what they were talking about but I decided to order it anyway. I was not let down. The plate I got was a pile of mashed potatoes topped with three British sausages. It was delicious and was definitely a full meal since I could barely finish it.
Meat pies & Pasties. I put these two together because they are very similar. The only difference in my mind is that a meat pie is something to sit down and eat, and a pastie is (in my mind) a portable meat pie. They both have a flaky crusts filled with a meat and gravy substance. Each meat pie/pastie is different with varying flavors. My favorite pastie flavor was a plain chicken pastie. My favorite place to get a meat pie (besides in a pub) was a place in the covered market called pieminster. I would always order the Matador which was British beef in a beef gravy with veggies and potatoes. On days I wanted a larger meal I could have a side of mashed potatoes added on. But the meat pies in the pubs could not be topped. Made to order, these pies were fresh and never failed to satisfy.
jenniguenther 