FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - Is FRENCH cooking still the premier cooking in the world?

(Colin Reed) wrote in message . com>...
> (Bradwell Jackson) wrote in message . com>...
> > "Colin Reed" > wrote in message >...
> > >
> > > On the question of French food, I would still say that the influences and
> > > techniques of French cookery still dominate in most of the "top" restaurants
> > > in the UK. If you look for Michelin stars you will find more of them going
> > > to French/British cuisine than Pan-Pacific or Spanish.
> > >
> >
> > When you say "British" cuisine, do you mean Toad-in-a-hole, Bangers
> > and Mash, Cornish Pasty, Shepard's Pie, et. al, or do you mean the
> > foreign food that is taking over Britain?
> >
> > Brad
>
> Before the industrial revolution, the cooking styles of France and
> England were relatively similar, although there was a heavier use of
> spices in British cooking, reflecting the spread of the British Empire
> and the spice routes. Therefore it would be quite common to make a
> Salmon en croute (yes British cuisine still used the French language)
> using a butter flavoured with cinnamon, mace, ginger and raisins.
> Many restaurant chefs in Britain are looking back to some of those
> dishes and bringing them up to date to make a "Modern British
> Cuisine", which is still heavily French influenced. It is not
> uncommon to see dishes in UK restaurants in which Black Pudding is
> sauteed with apples and apple liqueur from Somerset (English apple
> spirit, similar to Calvados), or a leg of rabbit is stuffed with a
> liver forcemeat. There is still the perennial argument as to whether
> Skate with Black Butter is actually French, or is in fact a British
> dish.
> England has probably the most multi-cultural cuisine in Europe, but
> there is still (thank goodness) some interest in its native cuisine.

I have heard this same analysis with Duck a l'Orange. Is this dish
British or French?

>
> Colin