This blog post was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Martin Oxley, Head, UKTI Poland

Martin Oxley

Director of UKTI Warsaw

Part of UK in Poland

23rd March 2014 Warsaw, Poland

The GREAT British Sunday Lunch po Polsku

The GREAT British Sunday Lunch po Polsku

Well I’m just back from a mega week long culinary trip round the UK and you know what I had a GREAT time tasting some pretty cool food. What matters is the ingredients and how you cook them. It’s not good enough to dismiss the Brits as having a heavy, fatty cuisine with a mish mash of everything on the plate.

It’s all about the raw materials where they come from and moreover how you introduce them to each other which makes a top class experience. So here we go the menu for a spankingly dobre British Polish Sunday Lunch fresh in my mind and just back from the GREAT British Polish Food Tour 2014:

Appetiser

As an Appetiser I’ve made thin slivers of warm Oscypek dipped in a Just Oil balsamic dipping oil. This is a base rapeseed oil which is rich in Omega and high in vitamin e with less than half the saturated fat of standard olive oil

Amouse Bouche

Cream of cauliflower and Shropshire Cheddar soup – bringing the best out of a Zamość cauliflower and a young flaky cheddar which crumbles like Cheshire cheese

Starter

Polish Rydze en croute bathing in a Shropshire Blue Cheese Sauce accompanied by an ice cold shot of Dębowa – tangy blue rydze accompagne par le voodecka you may say

Fish Course

Extremely delicate, chubby, succulent and juicy Menai Straits Pedigree Mussels bathed in Mazury butter and served with a sprinkling of the crumbliest Wensleydale cheese – a big thanks to my mate James in Wales who gave them to me instead of sending them to Paris

Main

This is where I really get excited. I managed to import a leg of GREAT Welsh Saltmarsh Lamb – it grew up on the salt marshes of the Atlantic which has an amazing effect on the quality and succulence of the meat. Cooked to a delicate rose in a sous vide and burnt off in a pan for no more than 3 minutes. Served with parsnips, potatoes and carrots from Lublin, Poland’s market garden – the micro climate bringing out a superlative taste. A kaleidoscope of colours on my plate accompanied by a delicate Elderflower beer from the Moose Brewery in Portmadog. Don’t forget the famous British Mint sauce blended with a Polish originated gravy. Smacznego

Dessert

Mazovian apple, sultana and cinnamon crumble served mith Mikes Homemade blackcurrant preserve and orange crème anglaise. A little nalewka with this dish – you know which one you like but Żurawina goes pretty well

Cheeseboard

A selection of GREAT English cheeses straight out of my suitcase at room temperature – Anstey’s Berkswell cheese, Croome Cuisine’s Hereford Hop, Simon Weaver Cotswold Blue and a wonderful matured Shropshire Blue from the Eyre’s family farm in Oswestry – all served with Franks Thins oat biscuits and Kit’s Kitchen red onion and orange chutney

A big thank you to Mark Riding Executive Chef at Origins in Shrewsbury for his GREAT creativity and advice. Most appreciated.

My friends really enjoyed it. Amazing what you can do by introducing products from both countries together. A fine tapestry of elegant tastes, high quality materials cooked in the best British Polish way – smacznego. Must go for a quick nap!

About Martin Oxley

Martin Oxley joins the Embassy team in Warsaw, building on a 15 year business career in Central Europe. An expert in the healthcare and life sciences sector, he has led a…

Martin Oxley joins the Embassy team in Warsaw, building on a 15
year business career in Central Europe. An expert in the healthcare and
life sciences sector, he has led a number of the leading blue chip and
regional pharmaceutical companies in Poland and the broader Central and
Eastern European region.
Most recently he was CEO of the British Polish Chamber of Commerce.
Under his leadership the Chamber grew to be one of the most prominent
international business networking organisations in Poland receiving a
number of awards  for excellence and partnership development.
Martin retains a keen interest in digital media, communications,
cultural relations and enterprise development. He is very enthusiastic
about his new role at the Embassy and honoured to have the opportunity
to play a leading role in championing the development of British
business in Poland.
He is married to Małgorzata and has two children Jaś and Nati.

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