The GBK Cookbook

The British Food Trust

Other

 

 

 

 

After over 10 years of providing this website as an entirely free service the Trust now hopes that small donations from our viewers will allow the site to continue following its next review in July.

The Picnic Basket

by Helen Gaffney

Picnics are an essential part of the English summer, whether it is a romantic picnic for two, sitting on a travelling rug in a remote beauty spot, or champagne and caviar served by the butler out of the boot of a Rolls-Royce. There are plenty of occasions for the latter during the Season, the first being the Fourth of June celebrations at Eton College. This is really an open day for parents, but once prayers have been said and the speeches are over, everyone is free to socialise. The picnic is likely to be served on china plates out of a wicker basket, and the spread will include traditional British summer fare: smoked salmon, lobster, asparagus and chicken, followed by strawberries and cream with Pimm's or champagne to drink.

As soon as the weather is really warm we like to eat outside. The picnic basket remains out for the rest of the summer. Royal Ascot in June and the Henley Regatta in July, both provide an opportunity for English society to dress up.

Other highlights of the Season include Cowes Regatta in August, the great sailing event of the year, which takes place off the Isle of Wight, and racing at Goodwood. Another great favourite of these occasions is Glyndebourne, where music-lovers go to see opera performed in a small opera house in the middle of the Sussex Downs.

Planning a Picnic

Whether it is an elegant occasion or a simple day out with the children, a picnic should be fun. Eating outdoors is not an occasion for worrying about diet and decorum - it is an excuse to indulge in all our favourite 'al fresco' foods, even if the combinations are slightly off-beat.

When planning a formal picnic, such as a dinner party out of doors, choose flamboyant food on which to feast the eyes as well as the palate but make sure the food is easy to eat and serve too. As with all food preparation, there are a few important guidelines for hygiene, safety and success.

Packing and Transporting Food

Containers should prevent the food from being crushed, keep it fresh and enable it to remain presentable until it is served. Liquids must be placed in containers with tight-fitting lids, including items like fruit salads or savoury dishes with liquid dressings. In addition the packing should be neither too fragile or too heavy.

Cling film, foil and plastic bags are all invaluable, especially for food which is to be packed in a chiller box,but such wrappings are not suitable for pastries and other foods which can be crushed easily. Delicate pastries are best packed in a rigid container and surrounded by layers of crumpled absorbent kitchen paper to prevent them sliding about.

The right choice of cooking container will often solve any packing problem. For example, a paté cooked in a terrine or a soufflé dish can be simply wrapped in foil or sealed in a plastic bag. A tart, flan or quiche baked in an ovenproof glass or china dish is ready to go and easier to carry than one baked in a tin with a loose bottom.

Screw-top jars are useful for salad dressings and sauces but must be packed with care - a clean tea towel wrapped around glassware helps to prevent breakages and provides a useful cloth for wiping hands or utensils at the end of the picnic.

Keeping Cool

It is important to keep perishable foods cool. Chiller bags may not be as attractive as baskets but they are more practical in terms of food safety. Cooked poultry, fish or meat, mayonnaise, cheese, butter and creamy items are just some examples of foods that must be kept cool. Remember to replace such perishable foods in the chiller bag once individual portions have been removed. Avoid leaving the food out to become warm and attract flies.

Chiller bags designed for bottles are useful for keeping drinks cold, as are vacuum flasks.

Essential Accessories

Simple packed lunches require no more than a roll of absorbent kitchen paper by way of serving equipment.Cornish pasties, filled bread rolls, home-baked individual plain cakes and fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, peaches and pears are just a few examples of familiar foods that taste terrific outdoors and are easy to eat. Ideal for an impromptu outdoor meal. Even if not quite so basic, the aim on the majority of family picnics is to keep crockery and utensils and the clearing up to a minimum. Most supermarkets stock a choice of paper plates, napkins and disposable plastic cutlery in cheerful designs. If you picnic regularly, it makes sense to invest in a set of rigid plastic plates. These are easier to hold than paper plates and are quite pleasant to eat off while being resilient at the same time.

  • Essentials that tend to be forgotten on picnics include:
  • bottle openers and corkscrews
  • glasses and plastic cups
  • cutlery and spare plates for desserts
  • roll of kitchen paper for mopping up spills
  • few large plastic bags for soiled crockery
  • refuse bag for any rubbish

Children's Picnic Boxes or Bags

A picnic can provide an opportunity to meet up with friends and their families. Making up individual 'tuck bag' containers for youngsters provides a fun treat. The food itself can be quite ordinary - favourite sandwiches, a small pie, some fruit - with a treat like a chocolate biscuit bar and crisps, but the packaging makes it special.

Sandwiches can be cut into letter shapes or fancy shapes using cutters and cakes or biscuits can be decorated with the children's names. Buy individual carrier bags and attach name labels. Small children will feel very privileged with their own particular bags while adults will be able to relax over their food with their friends. Just make sure that all the tuck bags contain the same goodies - or there may be squabbles!

Formal Picnics

There are all sorts of opportunities for formal picnics, from grand occasions such as a visit to the opera at Glyndebourne, boating trips or romantic evenings not too far from home.

Plan the menu with the same care as you would plan a dinner party. Fresh fruit starters, such as melon with Parma ham are ideal as they can be packed and transported successfully, then served and eaten easily.

Galantine of Chicken, Raised Veal and Ham Pie or Chicken Chaud-froid are all classic choices for picnics. Remember to pack a strong, sharp serrated knife for cutting a pie or slicing a galantine and take a board for serving instead of a platter (if you do not have a presentable one, cover a kitchen chopping board with foil).

Taking creamy dressed salads on a picnic can be a mistake as they do not always look as appetising after a long journey as when first tossed. It is better to pack a good mixture of prepared mixed leaves with a separate container of excellent oil and vinegar dressing, then combine them in a large bowl just before they are eaten. Similarly, tiny new potatoes cooked in their own skins are an excellent option, with a dressing to pour over as soon as the picnic is unpacked.

Fresh fruit makes a practical dessert (select varieties that are easy to eat rather than a messy fruit which is best tackled at the table). A moulded dessert such as Summer Pudding can be turned out just before it is eaten. Tarts and flans are ideal as long as the filling is not too runny or, in the case of flans, below the rim of the dish to allow for easy packing.

Drinks

For family picnics, bottles or cans of fizzy drinks, fruit juice and mineral water are ideal. Vacuum flasks of boiling water can be used to make instant coffee or tea (by using tea bags). Sachets of herb or fruit tea can also be used in this way. Tea or coffee can be made beforehand and taken in a vacuum flask but both tend to taste rather 'stewed'.

Wines are often served at formal picnics and sparkling wine or champagne completes a special picnic menu. Although aperitifs are served on some occasions, a rosé or sparkling wine is usually quite sufficient.

It is essential to include plenty of alcohol-free refreshments for any drivers and others who may not wish to drink wine. Sparkling mineral water, tonic water, fruit juice or mineral waters flavoured with herbs and fruit are good alternatives.

Suggested Formal Picnic Menu