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?

Is there anything you prefer about the UK to your own generic European country? Or do you feel superior in every way?

It's great roasted as is broccoli before adding the cheese sauce.

It may have been standard years ago, but I think very few people just boil everything nowadays. Most of my veg is sautéed, steamed or roasted.

I haven’t had smushed soggy broccoli since I was a kid.

What country are you from OP?

I mean there is this, my mum is guilty of boiling vegetables for days but then I am partial to a soggy Brussel Sprout 😀

They're different dishes though. Roast potatoes and boiled new potatoes taste different and go with different things. Why do people fry, roast, grill, barbecue or bake fish? Because each way of cooking results in a different dish. How odd to roast everything, particularly new potatoes which are a thing of wonder if steamed (or cooked quickly in boiling water) and served with mint and butter. You'd lose so much flavour of the actual potato if you roasted a Jersey Royal for example.

For new potatoes, boiling is the best cooking method bar none 😋

I par boil potatoes to roast, makes them far better.

Mum used to par boil fresh veg for the freezer. I don't freeze any fresh veg so I don't need to do it.

I don't boil everything. But I do eat boiled potatoes. And I steam most veg. Sometimes roast. But steaming is far healthier, not adding any fats.

I sometimes poach salmon, and very occasionally chicken, if I'm dieting. It's fine added to a salad with some herbs etc.

There are plenty of things you need to boil, like rice, pasta, water for tea.

Boiled new spuds with butter and salt, yummy!! Works lovely with a slice of quiche, peas. Far fresher tasting than roasting.

We don't boil much because most of the food we eat it wouldn't work but boiling has it's place, like veg for Xmas dinner.

We boil most veg. Quicker, easier and no loss of flavour/texture if you dont overdo it!
Sautéing Jersey Royal’s…. Oh the horror, the horror!

I use olive oil to loosen up earwax, which is the traditional use for it here in the UK. I buy it in tiny bottle from the pharmacy. Chili of course I sprinkle liberally in the garden outside my cave to deter neighbourhood cats and feral foxes.

Yes fair enough, I also agree with other posters sometimes it’s nice to taste just the veg itself without additional oil etc.

boiled potatoes are just very unusual to me

I need to know how to cook peas now. If not boiled/microwaved in a bit of water. Or is that like steaming.

Do you fry everything? That is regarded as very déclassé in the UK.

Tradition!

My grandmother could only afford the cheap roast so she would fry it in butter and then boil it for 6 hours. It was a cheap treat and it was delicious.

It is faster, no doubt about that. Boiled baby jersey royals with a knob of butter are delicious, much better than roasting them.

My brother had French friends staying at my mother's house, later they said she boiled the chicken (in a very disparaging way) no she roasted it! And they stayed free in her house for a week and ate everything put in front of them.

Yup.

Do. Not. Fuck. With. The. New. Potatoes.

I expect the OP also logs onto Asian forums and asks 'Why do Asians add spice to everything'?

Or Italian forums - 'What's with all the pasta?'

Whilst of course telling them she feels sorry for their kids 👀

Yesterday I read a thread where a poster was ranting about millennials in general, just because of something one millennial she knew had said.

Now we have a post bashing all British people just because her husband an in laws boil vegetables.

These generalisations are getting boring.

And for the record OP, in our house we always roast our veg, with a range of herbs, spices or oils, depending on the dish. Oh and I’m British.

Horses for courses.
I dislike vegetables covered in pesto.

. Now I think you're on the wind up. Will no-one think of the children? Have you considered reporting her to Social Services?

"to me"

You do you. Let others cook how they wish.