Ten foods we should eat but don't

Overlooked, maligned or forgotten – here are 10 foods that we need to bring back to the dinner table.

Liver

Offal has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, as people look to cut food bills. However, it still isn't used to its full potential, which is a shame. Liver is a tasty addition to stews and good in pies too.

Remember to cook liver all the way through and don't eat liver or its associated products (pâtés and so on) more than once a week. The NHS says it's a great source of vitamin A, but too much vitamin A can build up in the body and cause problems. The flavour of a large portion of liver can also get a bit overpowering, so serve sparingly with plenty of gravy.

Serving suggestion: strips of liver, quickly fried and then finished in caramelised onion gravy, served with a baked potato.

Kidneys

Like liver, their partner in crime, kidneys are not hugely popular. Perhaps many people find the idea of them particularly offputting, and there's no denying that they have a rather strong flavour and scent, which quickly divides the 'love' and 'hate' camps.

They are delicious extra ingredients in traditional British stews (chop them quite finely) and are the key ingredient in the unfashionable but amazing steak and kidney pudding. If you've never had one of these before, you're missing out.

Serving suggestion: best in steak and kidney pudding (or pie) with plenty of gravy.

Bubble and squeak

A dinner made from the shallow-fried leftovers of your Sunday roast potatoes and vegetables. Also works when trying to use up leftover mash (shape your mash into small, flat and round 'pancakes').

It was made popular during periods of rationing in the middle of the 20th century, when people refused to let any food go to waste.

It seems to be almost forgotten these days, but bubble and squeak is a traditional dish that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Serving suggestion: season well with salt and pepper, and if you fancy a meaty match, sausages are a good bet.

Photo credit: 'WordRidden'

Seaweed

Dulse and kelp grow widely in UK waters, and purple laver seaweed has been used for centuries to make the traditional Welsh dish of laverbread. Despite its abundance, the rest of the UK has never been that keen on seaweed.

It's good with seafood, as it brings the taste of the sea back to the plate, but the Japanese also make some types into flattened, crispy snacks, sometimes spiced with hot wasabi and sometimes dipped in tempura batter then deep fried. Check your local oriental supermarket for this some time.

Serving suggestion: wash thoroughly in clean water and steam before blending for use as seasoning in seafood chowder. Leave some small pieces intact to add too.

Wild garlic

Ramsons, or ‘wild garlic’, are easy to find through the spring and summer months, and are often used to make pesto – Mat Follas’ simple recipe blends the leaves with spinach and hazelnuts.

Don’t take the bulbs – you want the plants to be here next year, and if everyone pulled them up by the roots there’d be none left. But take a good harvest of leaves, use some fresh (try frying prawns in ripped leaves and butter), and then make pesto with the rest. Portion the pesto out into small bags and freeze it until needed. This should last you all winter!

Serving suggestion: simply stir your pesto into pasta with a little diced smoked sausage for a midweek dinner in winter.

Black pudding

Spare a thought for black pudding. Sales are up in recent years, but it’s a lesser-loved breakfast item that is understandably off-putting to some, despite its cheap price, as its primary ingredient is blood.

But I love a peppery, spicy slice of pudding, as part of a full English breakfast with sausages, bacon, grilled tomatoes, beans – and a cuppa.

It’s not really that good for you, true, but as an occasional treat it’s unsurpassable on the breakfast table.

Serving suggestion: grilled with bacon and eggs.

Insects

I'm keen on this one, and have my fingers crossed that we’ll be seeing more insect-based products in the near future.

They’re nutrient-dense and surprisingly tasty. In a taste test earlier in the year, loveFOOD tried out buffalo worms and grasshoppers and were, on the whole, rather keen on them.

Note that shouldn’t just grab any old insects you find in the garden. There are a few suppliers of edible insects in the UK, and hopefully these will grow as time goes on, and the (currently high) price of the insects will come down too.

Serving suggestion: roasted grasshoppers with honey and a pinch of salt.

Pickled eggs and onions

These haven’t been forgotten completely, but it’s been a while since I've seen pickled eggs take pride of place on the back shelf of chippies.

Likewise, pickled onions seem to be less ubiquitous these days, but they’re a fairly healthy snack that are too overlooked often. Avoid those with lots of added sugar (try making your own to avoid this). And don't forget gherkins.

Perhaps they’re losing market share to more exotic pickled goods like jalapeños?

Serving suggestion: pickled eggs and onions are great sides for a picnic, or they make a nice snack at any time of day.

‘Waste’ bits of veg

When you’re chopping up your veg, chances are you throw a small amount in the bin. Carrot tops and bottoms, celery leaves, and the stalks of herbs go to waste.

Did you know that those can actually come in handy later on? The next time you’re chopping veg, collect and freeze the discarded bits, and freeze them.

When you make stock, take the bag out of the freezer and add it to the mix while heating. Strain the stock before adding the rest of your soup ingredients.

Serving suggestion: serve soups and stews with crusty bread to soak up all the flavour of that spare veg.

Pig's trotters and more

This may be a step too far for some people, but pig's trotters, along with cuts like animal cheek and tongue, have received more attention in recent years as people look to cut their food bills.

And who can blame them, when the meat can be so good? There’s not an awful lot on them, to be fair, but you can either use them to flavour stews and soups, then remove them at the end, or enjoy them on their own.

You can grill trotters, braise tongue and shallow fry cheeks with a variety of seasonings in order to make a hearty meal.

Serving suggestion: beef tongue, slow-cooked in boiling water with onions and bay leaves, cooled and cut into slices and presented in a sandwich. 

What foods do you think we overlook and should make better use of? How do you use up leftovers? Let us know in the Comments below.

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