Non-U food

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Posted at 2:15PM, 07 December 2009 by Andy Lynes - Food writer

In an article written for the Spectator in 1963, Elizabeth David recounts how every guest she takes to the rather mediocre and now long gone Beau Geste restaurant in South Kensington is beguiled by the inexplicably delicious salad. The punchline is that the dressing's killer ingredient turns out to be plain old malt vinegar.

Inspired by the story (which is included in the must-have collection An Omelette and a Glass of Wine), I recently had a go at making my own version of the salad. Whatever vinegar M. Pigeon of Beau Geste used, it can't have been the same stuff I've got in my cupboard, which produced a dressing so acidic I used it to top up my car battery.

But I've always got a bottle of Sarson's to hand, and not just for sprinkling over fish and chips. It's essential for a garlic and ginger glaze for chicken, made to a recipe by top chef Bruno Loubet that also includes onions, brown sauce, tomato ketchup, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy and honey. And if malt vinegar is good enough for chef J P Singh, who uses it in his tandoori marinades at the world famous Bukhara restaurant in Delhi, it's good enough for me.

It's not the only traditional, deeply unfashionable foodstuff that I always make room for in my kitchen. Duck fat roast potatoes might taste great, but they don't deliver the sort of crispy finish that you get from lard (I only ever use duck fat if I've got it for free from cooking the bird myself. I also save lamb, chicken and pork fat from roasting joints, all of which are excellent cooking mediums).

I wouldn't be caught dead with margarine on my toast in the morning, but it's perfect for making a Victoria sponge

I wouldn't be caught dead with margarine on my toast in the morning, but it's perfect for making a Victoria sponge. It tastes great - no one will guess that you haven't used butter - and is so soft that it makes the creaming method a breeze, even by hand.

I use fresh herbs in my cooking by the truckload, but dried have their place too. The intense flavour of dried oregano is just the thing for pizzas and chillies, and a pinch of dried herbes de Provence is perfect for giving a lift to tomatoes slow-roasted with thinly sliced garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

So next time you're seduced by that expensive, voguish ingredient winking at you from the deli shelf, think twice. You could be quids in with non-U food.

Comments

miniminx

8 December 2009, 2:55PM
miniminx

for years i've always thought that the thing i make best is soup - any sort of soup really, from chinese chicken and sweetcorn; to tomato and roast ham, mushroom, butternut squash......all with the secret weapon of the humble Oxo stock cube. finally i actually read the ingredients list of Oxo cubes and know the reason for the fabulous flavour of my soup - MSG!!! but will that stop me using them? absolutely not!

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Becks

8 December 2009, 4:35PM
Becks

Margarine in cakes?! No no no no no no no no no! You can absolutely always tell, it coats the roof of your mouth in weird oil, it tastes like it came from Tescos, it even smells funny when it's baking. I am no food snob, but seriously!

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Nicola

9 December 2009, 8:14AM
Nicola

Haha - got to agree with that it must be butter for any type of baking. Although my grandad was a baker and he used block margarine...I just can't bring myself to do it!

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boof

9 December 2009, 4:48PM
boof

I know what you mean.

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Verity

10 December 2009, 12:37PM
Verity

I use margarine and I agree you can't tell the difference!

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Lianne

19 December 2009, 5:56PM
Lianne

I usually use butter in baking. However, I recently made a couple of coffee tray bakes, one with butter and one with Stork margarine. The one with margarine rose far more, was lighter and everyone preferred it. Made me think!

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Jen

26 December 2009, 7:28AM
Jen

Always butter!!! You can always taste the margarine. Also, remember the petrochemical residues in margarine, why would you want to consume them when you can use delicious natural butter?

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mum's buns

27 December 2009, 8:32AM
mum's buns

i always use block stork marg for baking but it has to be butter for shortbread. i hate soft marg and have found it doesn't work always in recipes that call for butter its too soft and so the end product is different. however i think i'm right in saying stork is not vegetarian - i think there is a slight animal fat content and it doesn't have a veggie sign on the wrapper - so i have to use store own brand block if i know its cakes for a veggie but its never as good (i sell cakes at work for charity and we have a lot of veggies) i've never had a problem with stork block ever!!

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yew

30 December 2009, 12:29PM
yew

Open QuoteHi This is a bit of an emergancy, I am cooking curried vegtable parcel in filo pastry, for tomorrow evening. I would however like to know if it is ok to make them today and leave uncooked in the fridge till tomorrow night. All help on this is very much appreciated. Thanks Yew

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