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 parboil pots if I'm going to roast them. I roast carrots if the oven's on, if not I boil them until al dente. I put frozen peas/sweetcorn in microwave unless I'm adding to a rice dish, then I just stir them round until thawed. I never ever wash or boil meat (what!), I boil broccoli and cabbage for minutes only. I roast small cauli florets b4 they become a cauli cheese. I thoroughly boil spuds if I'm going to mash them (or I use Sainsbury's frozen mash, yummy).

I don’t think so, most people boil or steam vegetables. Well unless they’re doing a stir fry. This is a very strange anti-British goady thread that has mumsnetters panicking to disagree.

Boiled baby potatoes with butter are gorgeous!! I also like them roasted but it’s a different taste so would depend on the rest of the meal.

Par boiling, I find, makes some veg roast better.

I don’t, in general, boil my veg. I agree that they taste better roasted or pan fried. But sometimes it is nice.

Ooh, I like the ramekin tip, thanks 👍

I occasionally if I plan ahead make Canarian widow potatoes. We really love those.

By ‘boiling’ meat do we mean stews? They are pretty big on the continent too. I’ve never come across anyone who boils meat in water. Maybe I’ll try it next time I have a nice steak.

Traditional Danish dinners are awash with boiled potatoes. So no, it’s not uniquely British.

I quite like boiled carrots so long as they are in battons or mashed with turnip. We mainly have them roasted though.

I don’t boil anything and I’m British through & through. I think you need to get out and meet more people Op! 😉

Ham and corned beef get boiled. Though modern ham tends to have such a lot-salt cure that I just bake it so that it has some flavour.

The totally not-British Dublin coddle is boiled.

Don’t think I’ve ever boiled anything 🫠🤣🤣

Is it a throwback to the 80s Rosemary Conley ideology of low fat cooking? All fat = bad. No oils, no butter etc as they are 'fattening'.

My mother (mid 80s) is horrified when I stir fry veg - 'It's unhealthy!' This is a woman who puts ultra low fat Flora spread on her toast 🤦 I'm like 'Mum, if you can't pronounce the ingredients you shouldn't eat it' 😐😅

Good fats are fine as is butter but in moderation.

Stir-fry doesn't use much oil but there's a knack to it. I rarely eat anything fried because I don't like them.
If I have toast or bread & butter it's a rare occasion so I am quite liberal with the butter. I don't have jam/marmalade and butter.
Low-fat anything can sod right off.
Spreads, spreadables etc can also sod off. No buts.

Depends upon what we're cooking for/quantities.

Single portion meal for 2 with rice or grains - in the steamer basket that came with the rice cooker or on the rack on the wok if it's a simmered/boiled dish.

Christmas Dinner for five - three tier electric steamer, also keeps everything hot until serving and frees up hob space.

Whole cauliflower for a quick gratin de choufleur - on a trivet in the ninja.

Spuds for all of the pomme puree, pomme aligot or something like aloo bati chochori or aloo saag/dum aloo - same as cauliflower.

Spuds for patatasalada or carrots for assorted soups - probably the tiered steamer.

Whole swede, beetroot for soups or pumpkin/squash (well stabbed) - same as cauliflower.

(yes, I did put the names in specifically because other countries eat vegetables without having to fry them all the time)

"Roasting jersey royals is a crime against nature. IMO." I totally agree with this. I steam most of my veg if I'm not roasting it. Roasting with butter or oil etc changes the flavour so it depends what you want from the dish.

Years ago I did know a girl whose mother boiled meat - all meat! It does happen but was probably done by an older generation than mine.

Teeny garlicky baked potatoes, then? Without the benefit of a crispy skin. Not sure wrapping in foil and putting on a barbecue is technically roasting, I'll grant you it's not boiling. Enjoy your potatoes as you wish but to quote Smeagol "she ruins it".

What's the knack for the stir-fry? Would really like this tip! 🙏

When I dig my first (and possibly only) potatoes on Saint John's eve I will drop them into boiling salted water, and when they are cooked will mash them and serve them with warm milk and butter. Lots of butter.

Maybe some chives.

It is. There's a museum in Bruges dedicated to it.

Mine is stainless steel and only about £20 from Wilko back in the day!
Just checked and Asda sell one just like mine for £13!!!
I gave away my electric one on Freecyle. I have a cupboard of useless gadgets 🫣
I use it about 3 times a week, it also cooks then cute veggies dumplings from the freezer section.

How do use the ninja? For cauliflower sounds delicious.
I do use my ninja for asparagus.

And also @NeverDropYourMooncup

You use ninjas to cook? What's that - a super-fast, amazing chef? Or are they teenage mutant ninja turtles? I didn't know they could cook.

I, too, would like a cooking ninja to waltz in undetected, cook an amazing meal in five minutes flat and then disappear again!

It’s an easy concept if you’d like us to explain.

Germans are big fans of a boiled potato. How else would they huge vats of kartoffelsalat?

Pretty sure many of Northern French and Belgian dishes involving ham hock, mashed potatoes and other root veg involves some boiling of food.

Of course Italians boil pasta including filled pastas.