United Kingdom

 Welcome to the United Kingdom!  Another bucket list country - it is just filled with so much history.  Especially history with the United States.  It is hard to remember, sometimes, that the United Kingdom (UK) includes Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, not JUST England.  It is estimated that 100 million cups of tea are consumed every day in the UK.  Golf was started in Scotland, and is considered the national sport.  The Union Jack (the flag) is a combination of elements of the flag of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.  When we found out what their national dish is, we were shocked.  More on that down below.  According to Google, the population is 68.75 million people and the capital is London.  The national dish is...

Tika Masala!

I'm sorry, what?  Isn't it something like fish and chips?  Beef wellington? Roast beef dinner?  It is said to be tika masala because there is a wide variety of cultures in the United Kingdom.  I was so surprised.  To go along with the tika masala, we made a dessert called Eaton Mess.  That at least SOUNDED more like it belonged in the UK...So I gathered my Indian spices, my fresh berries, and went to work.  Here's what I did:

TIKA MASALA

For the chicken tikka:

2 lbs chiken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp ginger, peeled and zested

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

3/4 tsp chili powder

6 tbsp whipping cream

1/2 tsp garam masala

3 tbsp avocado oil

For the masala:

4 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion, halved and finely sliced

1 tbsp ginger, peeled and zested

5-6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp chili powder

2 tsp paprika

4 tbsp yogurt

2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped

1 1/2 C chicken stock

1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp garam masala

4 tbsp chopped cilantro

1. 1. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add salt, lemon juice, spices, cream, and garam masala. 
2. 2. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours. 
3. 3.To make the masala, pour the 4 tablespoons of oil into a large pan and set it over a medium-high heat. 
4. 4. When the oil is hot, put in the onions, stir and fry until they brown, six or seven minutes. 
5. 5. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to fry, stirring, for a minute. 
6. 6. Add the ground coriander, turmeric, chili powder and paprika and stir for 10 seconds, then add a tablespoon of the yogurt. 
7. 7. Stir and fry until it is absorbed and add the remaining yogurt in this way, a tablespoon at a time.
8. 8. Add the tomatoes and fry them for three or four minutes, or until they turn pulpy. 
9. 9. Add the stock and salt and bring to a simmer. 
10. 10. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. The sauce should turn thick. 
11. 11. Stir in the garam masala and cilantro leaves, taste for balance of seasonings and add more salt if you need it.
12. 12. Shortly before you eat, preheat the grill to its highest setting. 
13. 13. Thread the chicken on to two to four large skewers.
14. 14. Grill until the chicken is cooked through. 
15. 15. Remove from the grill and take the chicken off the skewers.  
16. 16. Add the chicken to the masala, stir to combine, and serve over rice.
17. 17. Enjoy!

(Source: Tika Masala)

ETON MESS

1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream

2 tbsp sugar

2 cups meringue cookies

3 cups strawberries

1. 1. In a stand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream until you get stiff peaks.
2. 2. Break the meringue cookies into bite-sized pieces and add them directly to the whipped cream.
3. 3. Slice the strawberries into small pieces and set half of them aside. 
4. 4. Using a fork, mash the other half of the strawberries in a small bowl.
5. 5. Add the mashed strawberries to the cream and stir to combine everything together.
6. 6. Spoon the eton mess into individual cups or into a large serving bowl. 
7. 7. Top with the remaining strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar.
8. 8. Enjoy!

(Source: Eton Mess)

The verdict?  This was a delicious meal.  Every aspect of it!  The tika masala was delicious, and the chicken was so tender.  There was a lot of flavor in the sauce and the chicken - we were very impressed.  The ginger gave it a bite that made it taste almost spicy, but honestly, we wouldn't change it.  The sauce never thickened like the recipe said it should.  I think if I were to make it again, I would add a bit more of every spice and then add some heavy cream - that may help? But seriously, this was a delicious dinner.  The Eton mess was great as well!  It was strange not adding any sugar to the whipped cream as it was whipping, but honestly it didn't need any extra sweetness because of the strawberries and meringues.  Those meringues gave the dessert a very interesting texture, but it was very welcome.  It truly was very good!  It has already been requested again!  I'd call that a success!

  

ME

Taste of Tika Masala (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 9

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 4

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 9

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Tika Masala (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 7

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 8

ME

Taste of Eton Mess (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

 

HANDSOME HUSBAND

Taste of Eton Mess (1 is terrible, 10 is amazing): 8

Spicy (hot) (1 is not at all spicy, 10 is uneatable): 0

Flavor (1 is no flavor, 10 is packed with flavor): 7

We hoped you enjoyed the United Kingdom!  Join us next time in Monaco!