Honestly, I got curious about British starters last Tuesday after binge-watching MasterChef reruns. Felt like tackling something new in the kitchen instead of my usual pasta rotation.
The Idea Spark
Grabbed my dusty cookbooks and scrolled food blogs for hours. Wanted stuff that’s actually doable without hunting unicorn ingredients.
My Criteria:
- Uses regular supermarket stuff
- Won’t collapse if my oven acts up
- Impressive enough for mates coming Saturday
Kitchen Disaster Zone
First up: Scotch eggs. Absolute nightmare! My first try – BOOM – sausage explosion in boiling water. Looked like mutant breadcrumbs floating in oil. Texted my Brit mate Dave whining “HOW?!” He laughed and said “cold eggs, you doughnut.” Third attempt finally worked.
Next day made Coronation chicken. Forgot curry powder so used tikka paste instead… tasted like chicken curry salad. Dave approved though!
Small Wins & Fails
Potted shrimp was smooth – just butter, nutmeg and prawns. Smashed it into jars like a 5-year-old playing with Play-Doh. Felt proper chef-like!
Then tried deep-frying Stilton bites. Bad idea. Cheese volcanos erupted everywhere. Fire alarm screamed, dog hid under sofa. Scraped charred bits into bin swearing.
Final Spread
Come Saturday, my counter looked decent despite casualties:
- Scotch eggs (only slightly lopsided)
- Coronation chicken on toast
- Potted shrimp jars
- Ploughman’s pickle & cheddar chunks (cheating)
- Smoked salmon bites
- Mushroom pastries (store-bought… shh)
Mates went “bloody brilliant!” while devouring everything. Dave whispered “better than my nan’s scotch eggs” – best compliment ever. Worth the oil burns!
