British Thanksgiving Cooking Tips from Gary Durrant, Head Chef at Hunter 486

Thanksgiving is a key date in the calendar over in the US, and the celebration has gradually gained attention on British shores too. Whilst we’re keen to kick off the holiday season with our friends across the pond, many of us Brits are in need of some cooking guidance. There’s no denying that this US holiday is known for its indulgent pecan pies, colourful side sauces and gigantic Turkey platters, however there’s more to the festive feast than the well-known American classics.

In light of this, Gary Durrant, Head Chef at The Arch has prepared a roundup of British Thanksgiving dishes that we should be treating ourselves to this November.

Jewelled Fruit for a Festive Compote

This medley of dried fruit is the perfect accompaniment to a rich wheel of baked brie. To create this delicious compote, combine dried tart cherries, dried apricots, golden raisins, small dried figs, brown sugar, brandy, water and fresh lemon juice and microwave until bubbly.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes topped with Toasted Marshmallows

Blurring the lines between sweet and savoury, this dish breaks all the rules in a gloriously indulgent way. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven and once baked, slice potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop the insides into a large bowl, adding browned butter, cream cheese, a dash of salt and cayenne pepper. Mix well, then spoon the mixture back into the sweet potato skins and top each with quarter of a cup of marshmallows. Finally, place the sweet potatoes back onto the baking sheet. Bake in the oven for another ten minutes until warmed through and the marshmallows are toasted.

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Cornbread is an American favourite yet to fully make its mark in the UK, but the loaf serves as a fantastic stuffing base. If you look hard enough, you can find good quality cornbread in a number of bakeries. First, fry onion and sausage in a pan and transfer into a bowl.Then add pecans, parsley, lemon zest, chicken broth, butter and cornbread to the bowl. Transfer to an oven proof dish and bake all of the ingredients together until browned on top.

Playful Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Making your own ice cream is admittedly a tricky skill to master, so we’d recommend combining good quality shop-bought dairy ice-cream with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract, finished with Graham cracker crumbs.

Avocado, Grapefruit and Chicory Salad 

With all the calorific chaos on the table, health-conscious diners can find solace in this refreshing salad. Combine chicory and avocado slices, and place in a salad bowl. Make a dressing of olive oil, grapefruit juice, honey/agave syrup and season with salt and black pepper. Finally, add grapefruit slices to the bowl and pour over the dressing. To serve, neatly plate the salad and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

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Pancake Day always takes place on Shrove Tuesday in Great Britain, the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of the Christian season of Lent in the run up to Easter. Traditionally, Shrove Tuesday was a day for using up food that could not be eaten during Lent, which was a time for fasting. Therefore people made pancakes using leftover eggs and butter.

Gary Durrant, head chef of five-star hotel, The Arch London, sets out the best British pancake-making tips.

It may seem easier to pick up a pre-made packet mix, but following a homemade pancake recipe is much simpler than you’d imagine. Scrumptious homemade pancakes take only minutes to create and are healthier for you.

1. Pick a pancake style

Almost every country and culture has its own version of pancakes, from a Malaysian ‘Lempeng’ made with banana and coconut, to a French crepe, fat Canadian pancake stack, or classic British pancakes served with sugar and lemon. The mixture for pancakes differs depending on the country’s readily available ingredients, such as corn in Venezuela, cabbage in Japan and rice in Nepal. All types of pancakes are relatively easy to make, so why not consider trying some different kinds to spice up your Pancake Day.

2. Fat matters

If making traditional English pancakes, make sure to use plenty of fat to get the batter nice and crispy. If you use oil, then I recommend vegetable oil, and if you use butter, then clarified butter works best.

3. Timing

Pancakes should usually only take about 2-3 minutes to cook, but it’s best to ignore the clock and check for bubbles on the top of the pancake, which means it’s ready to flip over. Make sure not to cook it for much longer than 2-3 minutes though, as the batter could dry out.

4. Toppings

Pancakes are delicious both sweet and savoury, depending on your taste. They go very well with fresh fruit, chocolate and maple syrup, but equally well with ham, cheese and bacon, for example. Try using different cheeses such as brie, ricotta, or blue cheese, which taste amazing when melted inside a crispy pancake.

5. Hitting the pan

Don’t just dollop the mixture in with any old kitchen utensil. It’s helpful if you spoon the batter into the pan using a large ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with a nice thin layer of batter.

Here is a simple recipe for making 10 pancakes:

Ingredients:

• 75g – plain flour
• 120ml – full fat milk
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg

Method:

• Put the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and make a dip in the centre using a spoon.
• In a separate bowl, whisk the milk and egg together, and then whisk this gradually into the flour mixture. The batter should resemble the consistency of single cream. Some people swear by leaving the mixture to rest for an hour, but it’s fine to use straight away. A heavy non-stick frying pan about 16cm across is best over a steady, medium to high heat.

If you’re after something a little healthier, check out how to make these perfect gluten free pancakes. Or take a look at trying out something slightly different with these soda water pancakes.

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Our prehistoric ancestors just may have eaten pancakes.

Analyses of starch grains on 30,000-year-old grinding tools suggest that Stone Age cooks were making flour out of cattails and ferns—which, researchers guess, was likely mixed with water and baked on a hot, possibly greased, rock. The result may have been more akin to hardtack than the modern crepe, hotcake, or flapjack, but the idea was the same: a flat cake, made from batter and fried.

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