Why do Brits boil everything ?

[Lotc]

I’m European but not British. I have to say the way you guys cook (vegetables in particular) ie boiling everything) really isn’t for me. It just makes everything so bland even if you add butter and salt after. Carrots especially. Why not roast or lightly sautee in a pan with some olive oil? My husband boils everything. I’ve never seen anything like it. Why boil carrots? Same as ILs. The first time I met ILs we had poached chicken. It’s so weird to me. Is it a health thing?

I’m Australian. Guilty!
I boil most veggies.
Carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, peas, corn, cabbage but with butter, Try to have different veggies, not the same every night.
I have roast veggies maybe once a week. Stir fry occasionally.
Its the way my mum did it.

This! Of course not every Brit boils every vegetable to death! It’s your husband’s family. So you are presuming everyone else does it!

Nothing wrong w boiling though, as long as the timing is right, a few minutes over and veg is soggy

🤣 🤣🤣 The most first world problem on here today!

"And then, then, instead of sauteing the peas...she boiled them!!!" 😱 Those poor children! 😂

I grew up with roasted or steamed veg and use these methods and also sauté. Only vegetable I boil is potato to then mash when making potato fish cakes! Definitely it's your husband OP. Then again I'm also one of the people who dislikes a roast (unless cooked by my mum - everyone else's roast can get in the bin where it belongs).

My husband maintains boiling to oblivion is an irish thing as his irish mother used to do it to all her cooking.

Actually our cooking style originates and differs from Europe because between 1540 and 1620 basically the whole of England and Wales switched from wood fired cooking to coal. This meant that the British had consistent, easy to control, lengthy heat as apposed to the quicker and less predictable heat produced by wood. This meant we could boil, steam and roast for long periods of time.... leading to the classic steamed or boiled puds we remember from school, the roast meats and slow cooked stews

How would cook Brussels sprouts then lotc?

Boiling cotton handkerchiefs kills the germs

My mother used to boil hankies. She had a special hanky-pan,
Haven't thought about that in decades.

I also don’t get why everything needs to be parboiled

Cos it comes out crispier when you roast it.

My mum is Irish so I learned to boil most things from her but then we put a lot of salted butter on potatoes and vegetables. I am also guilty of boiling ham and chicken!

I steam, bake, fry. I only boil potatoes for mashing. Everything else is done differently.

I love steamed veg, don't tend to boil it. I also enjoy heavily seasoned and more complex dishes. But there's nothing wrong with enjoying the flavour of carrot or cabbage.

I only boil rice and pasta. How do you cook yours?

We don't ALL boil stuff 🙄. Many of us, me for one never boils anything. I don't even par boil roast potatoes. I steam, roast or grill, stir fry, bake or oven cook. Chill out 😒

Yes I agree with this - lightly boiled or steamed carrot, peas, green beans… I could eat these all day! I like the taste of the vegetables. I don’t need vegetables to taste of butter, oil, salt… I use high quality produce and I like the way it tastes!

I agree. I like the taste of veg as it is.

Yes yes op you are so much more sophisticated and just all round better than us peasants

I take it you're not from the Netherlands then, OP? Or from Flemish-speaking areas of Belgium? If so, you would have grown up eating lots of boiled vegetables and been able to answer your own question!

Just popping back to see if the OP remembers which country she's from yet.

And if the poor boiled pea eating children have been removed from her friend's care?

it's a saying, so was a joke, but clearly didn't land!

I asked a friend why she boiled baby potatoes and then added a knob of butter at end. She said it’s faster and easiest. But roasted in oven to me is easier!

That uses way more electricity and takes 3 times as long. And adds fat that some people want to avoid.

Roasting them with butter, oil, garlic or even nuts. They taste of absolutely nothing when boiled. It's never even occurred to me to boil them.

That was reminiscent of Oliver Twist, wasn't it? 😢

Roast Brussels sprouts are amazing. Definitely better than steamed or boiled in my books.

But I draw the line at refusing boiled new potatoes slathered in good butter. One of summers simple delights. Roasting them whittle create a whole different thing.

@Lotc Is it a health thing?

You should be aware that British people are the fatest in Europe, so it certainly is not a health thing.

I actually enjoy the fresh taste of vegetables that have been lightly steamed or boiled, and are al dente. When it comes to Christmas dinner, I think it needs something that is fresh and light, to balance out the richness of the rest of the meal.

Overboiled veg is an abomination, but properly done, boiled or steamed veg are delicious.

So did mine!