London Regional Recipes

Middlesex and London. London is the capital city of England, (in the south-east) and the United Kingdom, it is also the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom (over 6 million people now live in the Greater Metropolitan Area). These are a collection of local and regional recipes handed down within families who have lived and worked in the London / Middlesex area. All of the recipes below are regionally authentic, originally coming from recipe books published in the 1800s or 1900s, with the weights and measurements adjusted (alongside the old standards) where appropriate for the modern kitchen.

 

JELLIED EELS

2 lb (1kg) eels; 1 large onion; 1 bay leaf; 1 table spoonful vinegar; 2 oz (60g) leaf gelatine; 1 sprig of parsley; 2 pints (1.2L) cold water; whites and shells of 2 eggs; salt; pepper.

Clean and skin the eels and put into a saucepan with the water and all ingredients except eggs and gelatine.  Simmer until the eel is tender. Take out eel, cut into pieces and remove bones. Strain the liquid and return to the pan, and add the crushed egg shells and lightly whisk whites of the eggs. Add the gelatine and bring all to the boil.  Simmer for 2 minutes and strain again. Line a mould with pieces of eel, add the jelly and leave to set.

 

CHELSEA BUNS

1/2 lb (250g) flour; 1 level teaspoonful salt; 1/2 oz (15g) yeast; plus 1 level teaspoonful sugar; 1 oz (30g) butter or margarine; 1 egg; 1 oz (30g) sugar; 1/8 (75ml) pint milk.

Filling: 1 1/2 (45g) oz sugar; 1 1/2 oz (45g) currants; melted butter or margarine.

Glaze: 1 tablespoonful sugar; 1 tablespoonful milk.

Sieve flour and salt, put somewhere to warm. Rub in the fat. Cream the yeast and sugar together. Whisk the warm milk and beaten egg, and 1 oz (30g) of sugar. Add this to the creamed yeast and place in a well in the centre of the flour.  Mix to a light dough.  Knead until smooth and free from creases.  Allow to rise till double its bulk.  Re-knead lightly and then roll out into a square.  Brush all over with the melted fat. Spread with currants and dust thickly with sugar.  Roll up like a Swiss roll and cut into 1 1/2 inch (6cm) slices.  Place cut side down on to a greased and warmed meat tin, 1 inch (3cm) apart.  Prove (leave to rise) until touching.  Bake in a hot oven 420F (210C) for 20 minutes or a bit more, reducing heat halfway through the cooking time.  Brush while hot with hot glaze, or, alternatively, reserve a little of the beaten egg and brush with this before cooking.

 

POOR KNIGHTS OF WINDSOR

Recipe Ingredients. 8 slices of fresh or stale bread, cut 3cm thick; a little sweet white wine (for each slice) you can also use a sweet fortified-wine like sherry; a little milk (for each slice); 1 egg yolk (for each slice); a little butter (for each slice); a little sugar (for each slice); a little orange marmalade (for each slice); a pinch of ground cinnamon (for each slice)

Recipe Method. Put the white wine, milk and sugar into a bowl, mix thoroughly, then pour some onto a flat dish/plate. Put the egg yolks into a bowl, beat, then pour some onto a separate flat dish/plate. Dip the bread first into the white wine, milk and sugar plate, on both sides, let it soak up some of the liquid (add more liquid to the dish for each slice). Then dip the bread, on both sides, into the beaten egg. Fry the bread gently, on both sides, in a little hot butter in a large frying pan. Dish up on a hot plate and spread a little orange marmalade over the toasted eggy bread and then sprinkle over some sugar and some ground cinnamon.