Top Five London Dishes
As I’m getting ready to embark on a European vacation, I’m thrilled to eat SO MUCH food. While the posts on this site may take a slight pause, I’m looking forward to sharing the great dishes I sample overseas on Instagram. One of the stops on the trip is London, which I have not seen since I was a young teenager. I’m not entirely sure what to expect since the Royal Wedding is happening the same weekend. However, I’m hoping at least one thing remains consistently good: the meals. In anticipation of the trip, here are the top five London dishes that you can make right in your jolly ol’ home.
5. Fish and Chips
I hate including this here because it’s such a basic thing, but man, it’s pretty incredible when done right. Battered cod and French fries wrapped in either parchment paper or newspaper (or I suppose some other kind of wrap). Simple, effective, and filling. What more could you ask?
4. The Sunday Roast
The Sunday Roast loses a couple of points for its lack of flexibility. It’s understandable, though, as it’s one of the great British culinary traditions. The highlight of the meal is roasted meat, accompanied by roasted potatoes, vegetables, and gravy made from the very juices the meat was roasted in. Here’s where things get tricky (and by trick I mean inflexible): you pretty much have to eat whatever type of meat with certain condiments. For example, beef must be paired with Yorkshire pudding and horseradish, while chicken will use a redcurrant jelly. These pairings make sense, but what if I want to pair, say, applesauce with my beef? I’ll get laughed right out of town!
3. Sticky Toffee Pudding
This is essentially spongecake topped with dates, with butterscotch sauce poured over it, served with a side of ice cream or custard. It’s almost stupidly simple, yet it’s so, so effective. You’ll find this at just about any pub or restaurant that serves dessert in London. And if you don’t have a date for the weekend, you can just eat this and have enough dates to last you a month. Badum tsh.
2. Bacon Butty
I once read that the best preventative measure for a hangover is a bacon sandwich on white bread. For you heavy drinkers, the Bacon Butty might be tops on the London dishes countdown. It’s…well, it’s a bacon sandwich on white bread, typically topped with either ketchup or a vinegar-based brown sauce. Don’t be silly and toast the bread; instead, lather it in butter. The bacon should further melt said butter into one cornucopia of fat, grease, and flavor.
1. Full English Breakfast
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether you agree with that or not, few things are more satisfying than a hearty dose of food to get you rolling. And I mean literally rolling, since someone will have to roll you out of whatever establishment you’re dining in. The Full English Breakfast is a mix of eggs, bacon, sausage, blood sausage, mushrooms, grilled tomato, baked beans, and some kind of bread (often toast). Among London dishes, it’s sure to keep you the most stuffed. And that’s why it’s the big winner on this list.
