Scotch egg - the substantial meal debate

[Amyw Profile]

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.dail ... l-row.html

We’re in tier 2, so can only have a drink with a “substantial meal”. According to MPs, a sandwich doesn’t count but a Scotch egg does !!! Madness if you ask me . One of our pubs used to do a fishfinger sandwich which was basically a whole piece of battered cod in a huge roll . That was definitely substantial .

What’s your definition of a substantial meal ?

[Suffs Profile]

A dish consisting of a portion each of protein, carb and ‘green vegetable’ that requires eating with cutlery of some sort (including chopsticks).

[Busybee Profile]

A dish consisting of a portion each of protein, carb and ‘green vegetable’ that requires eating with cutlery of some sort (including chopsticks).

Agreed. I was going to say protein, plus vegetables and/or salad, but Suffs worded it better.

BB

My sister and I were talking about this earlier. Some local pubs may be keeping to the letter of the law but certainly not the spirit. One place has launched a £5 meal deal, now I seriously doubt that they will be operating food at a loss due to all the other losses pubs have incurred, so something at £5 will hardly be substantial, looking at the menu it’s scampi and chips, chicken and chips etc I would anticipate very small portions at that price point.

[Gruney2 Profile]

I thought you had to leave after you had finished your substantial meal. A Scotch egg wouldn't take long to get down.

[Amyw Profile]

That’s a valid point too . It sounds like quite a few pubs will be doing Boris specials of a very small and cheap portion of what sounds like a substantial meal to get by the rules , so should it be by weight rather than food type ?

Also quite often friends and I will share a couple of starters or go for a tapas style meal to share . I don’t know if that would work though my fave bar in town has said if you order two starters per person that’ll count as a substantial meal

[cherrytree Profile]

It was George Eustace who said this, which explains a lot.

[Suelle Profile Website]

That’s a valid point too . It sounds like quite a few pubs will be doing Boris specials of a very small and cheap portion of what sounds like a substantial meal to get by the rules , so should it be by weight rather than food type ?

Also quite often friends and I will share a couple of starters or go for a tapas style meal to share . I don’t know if that would work though my fave bar in town has said if you order two starters per person that’ll count as a substantial meal

Woah! That goes against all scientific advice at the moment.

Many covid advisors/scientists are saying if you must get together for meals at Christmas, it would be safer if everyone brought their own food, plates and cutlery (not likely to happen, really!). Sharing a restaurant dish must be just as high on the danger list!

[WWordsworth Profile]

George Eustace

Ah yes, the man who suggested sheep farmers should switch to cattle.
I'm no farmer but I spent a few years living in a rural environment and even I know they need different terrain.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I would consider a Scotch egg on it's own a snack - a substantial snack (sniggers) but just a snack

If served as it often was in my youth hot with chips and beans, then it becomes a meal

Also, if served as many pubs have done in recent years, as a sort of Ploughman's lunch, with salad and pickles and some kind of bread, that's a meal too

But it mainly appears on buffets in my recent experience, and of course those are out of the question

I really think anyone bubbled with me would be safe enough using the crockery and cutlery washed on a hot setting of the dishwasher, and in pubs I usually dislike being served with a hot glass but at the moment, those that are using a good hot glass washer are to be favoured

I remember a BBC board discussion of those rotating brush manual glass washers found in pubs in the 70s and 80s which were banned after they found to spread rotavirus

[northleedsbhoy Profile]

What constitutes ‘substantial’ has really got to be down to what a person eats. I very rarely eat more than a sandwich at lunchtime because I have always been an evening eater. Under the rules that would preclude me going to a pub at lunchtime but I could go in the evening - however since I retired it’s rare for me to go out in the evening, I’m a lunchtime/afternoon person. Basically, Bonkers hasn’t really thought this through enough to cater for an individual’s habits. Besides, folks have to leave after they’ve eaten.

Mind you, as Leeds is in Tier 3 it’s irrelevant at the moment.

Cheers
NLB

[scullion Profile]

George Eustace

Ah yes, the man who suggested sheep farmers should switch to cattle.
I'm no farmer but I spent a few years living in a rural environment and even I know they need different terrain.

i don't think 'useless eustice' inherited the farming genes.
one of the 'girls' in our group was a teacher of his at the local private school. it's a shame they didn't produce more like roger taylor and the bens - luxon and ainsley.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

As a part-time food provider, I (and many professional cooks here) would not consider a "substantial" meal to be anything less than 125-150 gms protein, plus veg (another, let´s say, 100 gms). A Scotch Egg, unless it´s the size of a softball, does not meet that definition.
As an English language teacher, my OED defines "substantial" as:
Having substance...of real importance or value...of considerable amount...
On that basis, two toasties=1 Scotch Egg = 1 snack.

[Amyw Profile]

That’s a valid point too . It sounds like quite a few pubs will be doing Boris specials of a very small and cheap portion of what sounds like a substantial meal to get by the rules , so should it be by weight rather than food type ?

Also quite often friends and I will share a couple of starters or go for a tapas style meal to share . I don’t know if that would work though my fave bar in town has said if you order two starters per person that’ll count as a substantial meal

Woah! That goes against all scientific advice at the moment.

Many covid advisors/scientists are saying if you must get together for meals at Christmas, it would be safer if everyone brought their own food, plates and cutlery (not likely to happen, really!). Sharing a restaurant dish must be just as high on the danger list!

But you’re only going out to eat with people in your household , so if you live with friends like I do , surely no problem

[Stokey Sue Profile]

As a part-time food provider, I (and many professional cooks here) would not consider a "substantial" meal to be anything less than 125-150 gms protein, plus veg (another, let´s say, 100 gms). A Scotch Egg, unless it´s the size of a softball, does not meet that definition.
As an English language teacher, my OED defines "substantial" as:
Having substance...of real importance or value...of considerable amount...
On that basis, two toasties=1 Scotch Egg = 1 snack.

When did you last see a Scotch egg? A proper one, as opposed to a station buffet one, is a whole egg (50-60 g) and at least 100g meat

Time someone linked to this lot (they are great Scotch eggs)
https://www.gourmetscotchegg.co.uk/shop/

[Pepper Pig Profile]

M&S Gastropub range does one you bake yourself. Is scrummy and the yolk is lovely and runny.

https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-gast ... -516856011

[karadekoolaid Profile]

When did you last see a Scotch egg? A proper one, as opposed to a station buffet one, is a whole egg (50-60 g) and at least 100g meat

About 40 years ago - but it´s still a snack to me unless it´s got something else with it. A plate of chips and some fresh peas? Nailed it. On its own, nope!

[Earthmaiden Profile]

They should just have used the term "proper dinner" and there would have been no confusion .

[Stokey Sue Profile]

A plate of chips and some fresh peas? Nailed it. On its own, nope!

Yes that’s exactly the point of the discussion - is it a meal without sides, as some pubs are claiming?

And I think we’ve establish nobody here thinks it is

For the new lockdown rules in Tier 2 a pub can only serve alcohol for consumption on the premises with “a substantial meal”

And it looks as if they aren’t going to get around it like Ronnie Scott’s got around only being allowed a supper club license years ago by serving a sharing tray of crisps, nuts, and some cheese and crackers

[Grasshopper Profile]

On it's own, a Scotch egg is a snack - not a meal.

[aero280 Profile]

I mentioned earlier that The Last Leg on Channel 4 last Friday produced a very substantial three course meal.

The first course was a bowl of red wine "soup".
The second course was a burger with the meat replaced by a thick disc of red vodka jelly.
The third course was melon balls marinated in vodka syrup.

Any two of those courses would qualify. Having a scotch egg with that would be unnecessary.