English muffins -- what do the English call them?

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I call them "indegestible lumps of nastiness".

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 4 March 2004 22:23 (twenty years ago) link

Then one of those Devon cream teas with an indigestable lump of nastiness, gobs of strawberry jam and an indigestable lump of thick, clotted cream would probably not tempt you.

David A. (Davant), Thursday, 4 March 2004 22:36 (twenty years ago) link

Probably not.

Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 4 March 2004 22:43 (twenty years ago) link

(xpost)

In Scotland, scone is pronounced so that it rhymes with Ron.

silver girl, Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:07 (twenty years ago) link

but "Ron" is pronounced like "Roooone" so where does that get you?

Skottie, Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:11 (twenty years ago) link

The thing with 'scon'/'scone' is that it's both a class thing and a regional thing, and the two overlap and intertwine in ways that render any simplification pretty useless.

N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:15 (twenty years ago) link

I've heard it pronounced "scun" (like "scud").

jody (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:16 (twenty years ago) link

Well, that would be an appoximation of the way some Scots say all words that rhyme with 'scone' (the scon way). Os are close toUs.

N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:20 (twenty years ago) link

scoon.

cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:22 (twenty years ago) link

I say 'scohn'.

cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:22 (twenty years ago) link

I say 'biscuit' or 'wad of baked dough'

dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:23 (twenty years ago) link

You don't sound Scottish, cozen.

Abigail Wi1d (nickdastoor), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:24 (twenty years ago) link

you're hitting on me.

cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:25 (twenty years ago) link

AFAIK everyone in Aus says "scon". I think anyone who said "scohne" would be regarded as a posh twit. Or a Goodies fan maybe.

Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 4 March 2004 23:30 (twenty years ago) link

three years pass...

Whatever happened to that Cozen guy, he was cool.

Bimble, Saturday, 9 June 2007 23:54 (seventeen years ago) link

do you really want to know?

RJG, Sunday, 10 June 2007 00:01 (seventeen years ago) link

haha

jed_, Sunday, 10 June 2007 00:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Friday I heard a commercial in which the cockney sounding Geico gecko says something about an english muffin, which caused me to turn to the person next to me and ask "what do the english call "english muffins"? Thx, ILE!

Hunt3r, Sunday, 10 June 2007 03:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Cozen fought the law, and the law won.

Madchen, Sunday, 10 June 2007 10:03 (seventeen years ago) link

happy birthday cozen

blueski, Sunday, 10 June 2007 10:28 (seventeen years ago) link

it really was his birthday a few days ago.

jed_, Sunday, 10 June 2007 10:33 (seventeen years ago) link

seven months pass...

Ha! I don't remember this thread and certainly never saw the most recent revive. Anyway, yes, I fought the law and law won. Now I'm mostly miserable but rich.

[ban me]: Now that that's settled: biscuits. Do you have biscuits in the southern-U.S. sense, the lardy doughy kind that get smothered in "country" gravy? And if so, what do you call those?

Are these similar to faggots, or is that another thing?

czn, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:41 (sixteen years ago) link

Hello, Cozen! Do you still look like Bernard Sumner?

roxymuzak, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:42 (sixteen years ago) link

"[ban me]"? Ha! I was quoting n4bisco%%/N1tsuh.

x-post

What?! No. Photo Booth-ed a few seconds ago:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2047/2218609209_777c0221a0_o.jpg

czn, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:47 (sixteen years ago) link

Anyway this isn't about me, it's about faggots.

czn, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:48 (sixteen years ago) link

Aren't faggots like meatballs?

The biscuits refered to above are like most similar in texture and weight etc. to scones, I guess. I have tried to explain the idea of gravy covered scone like things to my husband and it blows his mind but that's the best example I could come up with.

ENBB, Friday, 25 January 2008 19:52 (sixteen years ago) link

This is an American biscuit, with gravy being ladled on:

http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/87/03/23030387.jpg

They are buttery and usually have a soft, doughy center. You can add sausage gravy as seen above and have them for breakfast; you can also eat them alongside entrees, possibly buttering them or spreading a little honey in the center.

nabisco, Friday, 25 January 2008 20:05 (sixteen years ago) link

Those look quite delicious.

czn, Friday, 25 January 2008 20:06 (sixteen years ago) link

Popeyes® Chicken and Biscuits

I miss

You

warmsherry, Friday, 25 January 2008 20:17 (sixteen years ago) link

they don't call them anything. they eat them. (har har)

isn't it sad that after SEVEN years I came up with the same crap joke (before clicking on the thread)?

stevienixed, Friday, 25 January 2008 20:23 (sixteen years ago) link

is this where we start the - "that's not gravy" discussion? it's more of bechamel kind of affair.

Porkpie, Friday, 25 January 2008 22:21 (sixteen years ago) link

I want to know, why does Trader Joe's call their English muffins British muffins?

jaymc, Friday, 25 January 2008 22:24 (sixteen years ago) link

Actually no, Porkpie -- I think technically the distinction would be that white/country gravy starts from the sausage's own fat/drippings (plus flour, cream) rather than butter, like bechamel.

nabisco, Friday, 25 January 2008 22:42 (sixteen years ago) link

Sometimes they don't even use any dairy! But the most common approach = brown some sausage, whisk flour into the fat/drippings, splash in milk/cream

nabisco, Friday, 25 January 2008 22:49 (sixteen years ago) link

It's the dairy that throws me, that just can't be gravy, it's effectively a roux based sauce. To me gravy is meat juices plus booze/stock, and you skim away the fat.

so there we are, back to what the english call english muffins.....

Porkpie, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:11 (sixteen years ago) link

I get a nice heart-attacky gravy using half lowfat milk, half water. The secret is browning your flour in the pig fat to a deep dark roux, skating right up to the edge of burning it. Generously salted and a HUGE amount of black pepper.

Rock Hardy, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:12 (sixteen years ago) link

Ha, Porkpie, this must be some UK thing, because so far as the US (and France!) go:

(a) you can use a roux to make a gravy!
(b) the fact that the dairy throws you is dealt with honestly and straightforwardly by noting, often, that it is a "cream gravy"

nabisco, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:19 (sixteen years ago) link

exactly, flour is the last thing I'll put into gravy, I don't want my meat flavour....masked or clouded, just put in some booze, burn off the alcohol and reduce to give a lovely gravy.

Porkpie, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:26 (sixteen years ago) link

But are you saying you don't believe anything involving flour is really a gravy?

The main result of this discussion so far is HOT DAMN do I want some chicken-fried steak

nabisco, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:29 (sixteen years ago) link

Lovely runny not-at-all-lumpy-and-therefore-distinctly-ungravylike gravy?

HI DERE, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:30 (sixteen years ago) link

I've never put flour in anything I'd call gravy, no. This may not be an English thing please note - it may just be a me thing.

Porkpie, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:33 (sixteen years ago) link

That's weird, there's flour or some kind of thickener in ALL gravies here, I think? I mean whether you use flour or Wondra or cornstarch or what have you, there's SOMEthing.

Laurel, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:36 (sixteen years ago) link

here's what Delia has to say:
. Basically there are two ways to make gravy – the first is by 'de-glazing', which involves spooning off most of the fat from the juices, then scraping the sides and base of the roasting tin to release all the lovely caramelised bits. Wine or stock (or both) is added, and the whole thing is allowed to bubble and reduce to produce a small amount of concentrated but thin gravy. Or, for a slightly thicker gravy for a larger number of people, again most of the fat is spooned off, but then flour is stirred into the juices before the liquid. Either way, the essential point (as with any cooking skill) is to preserve and enhance the flavour. It is best to use a stock that matches the meat, that is a beef stock to make gravy for beef, and so on. If you are pressed for time, ready-made stocks are available, but equally a vegetable stock made from potatoes or other vegetables is perfectly all right.

Porkpie, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:39 (sixteen years ago) link

obv, I'm all about the former

Porkpie, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:39 (sixteen years ago) link

fry the flour in the skimmed fat from the meat
add the meat juice + booze if you want
reduce

Jarlrmai, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:40 (sixteen years ago) link

jus ≠ gravy

Rock Hardy, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:41 (sixteen years ago) link

Oh true, when Americans are making gravy it's probably for like 18 people at Thanksgiving or something, maybe it's to stretch the pan drippings further.

Laurel, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:42 (sixteen years ago) link

haha xpost

Porkpie says thickened gravy is kinda more of "a bechamel affair"
I'd say the thin gravy is kinda more of a jus affair

It's all gravy, though!

nabisco, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:44 (sixteen years ago) link

Let's get it crunk, we gon' have fun
Up on in this gravyrie
We got ya open, gravy boatin'
So you gots to thicken me
Don't need au juseration, holleratin'
In this Thanksgiving
Let's get it bechmelatin', while you're waiting
I just love gravy

HI DERE, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:49 (sixteen years ago) link

Now that that's settled: biscuits. Do you have biscuits in the southern-U.S. sense, the lardy doughy kind that get smothered in "country" gravy? And if so, what do you call those?

AFAIK we don't even really have these in Canada (except maybe if you went to some Southern-themed restaurant). I didn't know about them until a few months ago.

Sundar, Friday, 25 January 2008 23:51 (sixteen years ago) link


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