Opening Ceremony Feast
This Friday evening marks the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Let’s gather the best of British foods, create an opening ceremony feast, and plant ourselves in front of the telly to watch the spectacle!

We have a list of menu suggestions for you. And stay tuned this week as we post more celebratory British recipes in our What’s for Dinner Wednesday recipe blog.

English Style Fish & Chips
Below* is a preview of the Fish & Chips recipe for this week’s upcoming What’s for Dinner Wednesday post. A good shortcut is to pick up a box of Golden Fry Chip Shop Batter in the British Foods section.

Bangers & Mash
Featuring Saag’s British Style Bangers. Serve the sausages with home made mashed potatoes and gravy.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Long rumored to actually have been invented in Glasgow, this is an English favorite!

A cheese plate from any combination of the following cheeses:
Stilton – Plain, with Lemon, or with Mango
English Cheddar
Cotswald
Caramelized Onion Cheddar

Visit our British Section for other pub fare:
Norfolk Manor’s line of Pickled Onions and vegetables
Heinz Beans
Mushy Peas
Ruby Murray Curry Chutney
Heinz Sticky Toffee Pudding

And to drink:
Fuller’s London Pride Ale
Boddingtons Pub Ale
St. Peter’s Ales
Bombay Sapphire Gin & Tonic

*English-Style Fish and Chips
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence and foodnetwork.com
Prep Time: 25 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Serves four

Ingredients
Vegetable oil, for deep frying
4 large russet potatoes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (12-ounce) can soda water
1/2 cup rice flour, for dredging
2 (8-ounce) cod or haddock fillets, cut in 1/2 on an angle
Malt vinegar, for serving
Tartar Sauce, recipe follows

Directions
Heat 3-inches of the oil in a deep fryer to 325 degrees F. Alternately, heat 3-inches of oil in a deep pot.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into chips, about the size of your index finger. Put the potatoes in the oil. Fry the chips for 2 to 3 minutes; they should not be crisp or fully cooked at this point. Remove the chips with a spider strainer or slotted spoon, to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.

Crank the oil temperature up to 375 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and egg. Pour in the soda water and whisk to a smooth batter. Spread the rice flour on a plate. Dredge the fish pieces in the rice flour and then dip them into the batter, letting the excess drip off.

Put the chips in the bottom of the fryer basket and carefully submerge in
the hot oil. Carefully wave the battered fish into the bubbling oil before
dropping them in on top of the chips. Fry the fish and chips for 4 to 5 minutes
until crispy and brown. Remove the basket and drain the fish and chips on paper towels; season lightly with salt. Serve wrapped in a newspaper cone with malt vinegar and/or tartar sauce.

Tartar Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped capers
1 tablespoon chopped cornichons
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
Dash hot sauce