I never go out to dine out these days but last night went to a pub for a meal, my eyes nearly popped out of my head when my battered fish, chips and salad arrived on a plate that was as bug as a toilet seat and about six inches high.
My first thoughts were OMG how am I going to fit all that into my gob then I thought no wonder 50% of the population are overweight including myself.
I heard from family that have visited the USA that over there they serve massive meals and it looks like it has taken off over here in Oz.
Just wondering if they serve monster sized meals back home in the UK?.
There are no big meals like that around here. :(
Ours seem to be shrinking which is a good thing.
No point eating fish & chips in Oz unless they've discovered vinegar yet ?
Alan
Hi,
Anyone remember the Hungry Horse chain of resturants? Similar to Beafeater. They used to do a cow pie, Desperate Dan size on a 17" plate with a pile of chips and peas. If you ate it all you got a free dare to share Chocolate Explosion in a huge glass.
Starved myself the day before and still couldn't finish it. I don't think anybody did.
Alex :wave:
Quote from: alex crawford on March 16, 2012, 08:05:43 PM
Hi,
Anyone remember the Hungry Horse chain of resturants? Similar to Beafeater. They used to do a cow pie, Desperate Dan size on a 17" plate with a pile of chips and peas. If you ate it all you got a free dare to share Chocolate Explosion in a huge glass.
Starved myself the day before and still couldn't finish it. I don't think anybody did.
Alex :wave:
The Hungry Horse restaurants are still going strong, went to our local one last week! £40 worth of food for £10 Tesco clubcard voucher ;) (Offer has finished now I think)
Still do large meals but don't do the cow pie. There is a Candy Explosion sharing dessert though!
The place the other side of Dundee airport used to do cow pie Alex, it was crap though. Old Anchor in Broughty Ferry does a good steak pie, in fact I've never had a bad meal in there and big portions too, the cheese and bacon burger nearly had me beat, nearly ;)
To my mind, plates in the UK that look filled are usually full of chips/salad rather than what was actually ordered. I would far rather do an Indian or Chinese buffet as they are generally great value
Quote from: EtchedPixels on March 16, 2012, 07:51:28 PM
No point eating fish & chips in Oz unless they've discovered vinegar yet ?
Chippies round work seem big on the "non-brewed onion-flavoured condiment" - yes, that's really what it says on the bottle. It's better than no vinegar at all, but it's not really *that* much like vinegar...
Yep, huge portions here in the US. But they are more than happy to box half for you to take home.
Just looked where the nearest Hungry Horse place is near me it's only 3.9 miles away might be worth a visit soon ;)
Try looking in the search engine for your nearest establishment ;D
http://www.hungryhorse.co.uk/index.php/pub-finder/details/thatch-thistle-nelson (http://www.hungryhorse.co.uk/index.php/pub-finder/details/thatch-thistle-nelson)
Quote from: newportnobby on March 16, 2012, 10:43:05 PM
I would far rather do an Indian or Chinese buffet as they are generally great value
I'm with you there Mick....... :thumbsup:
I wish menus would offer large and small options, so greedy folks like me, and smaller eaters like SWMBO, can both be satisfied.
I am a big fan of http://www.crowncarveries.co.uk/ (http://www.crowncarveries.co.uk/) £3.89 for your choice of meat or combination with as much veg as you want and that all important GRAVY, yes us northern folk like our meals served with something moist.
I like dinner with my gravy.......... :thumbsup:
Quote from: point blank on March 17, 2012, 07:21:02 AM
that all important GRAVY, yes us northern folk like our meals served with something moist.
Well said that man ;)
Long as it's not watery gravy like it consistency of a good custard :thumbsup:
Don't worry chaps....... Us southern boys love gravy also.
I really love eating out, meal sizes tend to be pretty good in the UK unless you go to little chef.......
I went to one the other day out of need rather than want. I actually counted the chips on my plate and was well shocked at only having 13 in total!!!!!
I'm actually dining out tonight in Worcester, first time there, can anyone local recommend any decent restaurants in the area please?
I know it's wrong but if I'm proper starving I will go to macdonalds, for under £4 you know what your gonna get, and it's proper tasty too........ :P
Quote from: upnick on March 17, 2012, 10:09:35 AM
Long as it's not watery gravy like it consistency of a good custard :thumbsup:
What about the consistency of blancmange? That's what we got at school once - it didn't spread, it just sat on the plate and wobbled
(http://smileyshack.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/svomit_100-104.gif)
Big fan of Chinese Buffet, especially if you avoid the 'Aroma' chain which I find a bit expensive for the choice you get :thumbsup:
Paul
Quote from: Lawrence on March 16, 2012, 10:36:50 PM
The place the other side of Dundee airport used to do cow pie Alex, it was crap though. Old Anchor in Broughty Ferry does a good steak pie, in fact I've never had a bad meal in there and big portions too, the cheese and bacon burger nearly had me beat, nearly ;)
Hi Lawrence ,
It was the Marmalade Pot but now owned by The Eating Inn. If I know I'm going to be in Dundee I arrange to met the wife there for lunch.
Alex :wave:
I'm a fan of gravy too, but not in carveries, where they offer three or four meats, but only one gravy. Sorry chef, but beef gravy doesn't go with chicken, and you know it.
Quote from: tadpole on March 17, 2012, 03:16:38 PM
I'm a fan of gravy too, but not in carveries, where they offer three or four meats, but only one gravy. Sorry chef, but beef gravy doesn't go with chicken, and you know it.
We will have to agree to disagree on that. I have all of the meats, plenty of veg and then drown it with whatever gravy is available, and love it. :beers:
Quote from: point blank on March 17, 2012, 05:34:49 PM
We will have to agree to disagree on that. I have all of the meats, plenty of veg and then drown it with whatever gravy is available, and love it. :beers:
And Yorkshire pud. Need plenty of pud to mop up the gravy at the end :)
The only gravy I ever liked was me Mums any other gravy always seems fake :thumbsdown:
Quote from: tim-pelican on March 17, 2012, 05:59:15 PM
And Yorkshire pud. Need plenty of pud to mop up the gravy at the end :)
:thumbsup: i miss a good Yorkshire.
Quote from: Mustermark on March 18, 2012, 12:29:59 AM
:thumbsup: i miss a good Yorkshire.
Very easily solved :thumbsup:
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq108/Scotsoft/Other%20Pics/66b5e29d.jpg)
Yorkshire Pudding
Ingredients
• 2 eggs
• 4oz/ 115g flour
• ½ pint/ 275ml milk or half milk, half water
• beef dripping – I use vegetable oil
• salt
Preparation method
1. Mix together the eggs, flour and a pinch of salt.
2. Add the milk, stirring constantly (use an electric beater/ whisk), until you have a runny batter.
3. Place ¼inch of beef dripping in the bottom of each pudding mould, or if you are using a rectangular roasting tray, place 1/4inch of beef dripping across the bottom.
4. Heat the dripping in the oven (at 240C/460F/Gas Mk8) for about ten minutes, until it is smoking hot.
5. Remove the roasting tray from the oven, pour in the batter, and immediately return to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy, making sure not to open the oven door for the first 20 minutes.
6. Now the yummy bit, serve with roast beef and other delights, stuff face till fit to burst
7. Have a nap to aid digestion.
Exactly as I would do them/it. Make sure the flour is of the plain variety and not self raising. I have also found the type of oven gas/electric/fan etc can make a difference in how much the pudding rises.
I also love it served with Golden Syrup as a dessert. Yup - you can OD on Yorkshire pud :thumbsup:
Ah, someone else who eats them for dessert as well ;D
My mum always used to make extra for sunday lunch so we could have a couple with jam in after ;) Something I've carried on as an adult :P
Paul
Reminded me of this, had to censor it a bit though ;)
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/sprintexnet/Images/auntbessiesadvcensored.JPG)
Paul
Spot on Sprintex but tell the younger lazier generation that and they just laugh at you.
Quote from: scotsoft on March 18, 2012, 09:14:55 AM
Quote from: Mustermark on March 18, 2012, 12:29:59 AM
:thumbsup: i miss a good Yorkshire.
Very easily solved :thumbsup:
Scotsoft, That's very kind of you to provide the recipe. :thumbsup: Trouble is i can mix up the batter but it just doesnt turn out like what i would call good. Its never fluffy enough or the right colour brown on top or it's a bit soggy or a bit dry. Nothing like me mam's and not like you'd get at a decent carvery even.
I will follow your instructions to the letter though, and keep practicing! And in the meantime i will count it a success if they are half as good as Aunt Bessie's! They might be cheating, but they're not actually at all bad.
Good news is that i have steps 6 and 7 sorted! :smiley-laughing:
I can make a decent Yorkshire pudding even though I'm from Kent.
The secret is keeping the roasting tin really hot when you take it out of the oven to pour the mixture in.
On a visit to a Yorkshire hotel many years ago we were given Yorkshire pudding and gravy as a starter (yum!)
One of our restaurants does cockles and laverbread in a Yorkshire pudding.. awesome starter
Quote from: scotsoft on March 18, 2012, 09:14:55 AM
Ingredients
• 4oz/ 115g flour
• ½ pint/ 275ml milk or half milk, half water
Preparation method
1. Mix together the eggs, flour and a pinch of salt.
2. Add the milk, stirring constantly (use an electric beater/ whisk), until you have a runny batter.
Having just made the batter (under SWMBO's eye ::)) can I offer an alternative to the above items ? One that works for us (IIRC, it's also used by the Domestic Goddess herself, so you know it's good ;D :thumbsup:)
We use 200g of plain flour and 1 pint of milk (or 50% milk/50% water, your choice); still 2 eggs, but we do get really
really large ones from the farm down the road ! In addition, we mix the milk, flour & salt first, THEN add the eggs a little later & mix again ...
We get a good dozen puds from this (in the right-size tray, of course), and unless the eggs aren't as fresh as they normally are or the flour is old they rise like community housing blocks in the 60's :smiley-laughing:
Gorgeous !
Mike
Thanks guys, didn't get any Yorkie puds today and now I'm starving!
Quote from: SymonC on March 18, 2012, 12:11:17 PM
I can make a decent Yorkshire pudding even though I'm from Kent.
What's that got to do with it, I'm from North London and I can make them too :smiley-laughing:
Quote from: SymonC on March 18, 2012, 12:11:17 PM
The secret is keeping the roasting tin really hot when you take it out of the oven to pour the mixture in.
Absolutely correct :thumbsup: St Delia actually advises that you take the tin from the oven when the fat is smoking-hot and place it on the gas ring to KEEP it hot while you pour the batter in - if it doesn't sizzle when it hits the fat it ain't hot enough and soggy puddings will ensue :)
Paul