Rose & Crown Pub, EPCOT – A split decision

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Arguably one of the most charming, wonderful places to relax in all of Walt Disney World is the United Kingdom pavilion in EPCOT. The Tudor facades, gardens, tea shop, and regular appearances of Mary Poppins and Alice make it a place to linger long. Add to that an authentic-feeling drinking establishment with water views and good beer, and you may never want to leave.

Rose & Crown Pub, UK Pavilion EPCOT

Rose & Crown Pub, UK Pavilion EPCOT

The pub at the Rose & Crown is dark and cozy, with outstanding British beers on tap. On any given day you’ll be sure to hear British accents ordering pints, and on occasion the entire pub will break into a jolly sing-a-long of “Hey Jude.” It’s a fantastic place to be, warranting 4 Mice. (4 Mice = I’d be here every day if it were in my neighborhood.) And as a close friend reminded me today, it’s the last stop for many on their “drinking around the World” tour, so can be a bit rowdy. On his last trip (with his pre-teen and teenage sons) he came across a couple of inebriated young ladies getting amorous at the bar. World Showcase became instantly more educational, but not in the way he intended. You’ve been warned.

Black and Tan at Rose & Crown Pub

Black and Tan

The restaurant is similarly atmospheric, usually a little less crowded, and definitely more kid-friendly. Here’s a quick peek at the dining room. (Look, there is malt vinegar already on the tables – you don’t even have to ask!)

Rose & Crown Dining Room

Rose & Crown Dining Room

So how’s the food? It’s pretty good. Not great, but it goes down well with a pint. That is, it’s mostly heavy, greasy, and salty. (In a good way.) One of my favorite items on the menu is the Scotch egg, which I may have mentioned once or twice on this blog. There are very few foods that go better with beer than a Scotch egg, and this is a fine example.

Scotch Eggs, Rose & Crown Pub UK Pavilion EPCOT

Scotch Eggs

A couple of other stick-to-your-ribs options are the bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie. I’m not a fan of shepherd’s pie, but Mr. MouseChow enjoyed it. My bangers and mash were yummy. (Yes, I had sausage as an appetizer and main. It’s called vacation.)

Shepherd's Pie, Rose & Crown, UK EPCOT

Shepherd’s Pie

Bangers and Mash, Rose & Crown, UK EPCOT

Bangers and Mash

And what meal in a pub would be complete without fish and chips? Sadly, these are only mediocre. The cod is fine, and the batter usually crunchy and redolent of beer. (Usually – but not always.) The chips are perfectly good, just not great.

Fish and Chips, Rose & Crown, UK Pavilion EPCOT

Fish and Chips

I’ve heard that there is a sticky toffee pudding for dessert that’s yummy, but haven’t had the chance to try it. If you have, let me know what you thought in the comments!

So I would give the Rose & Crown dining room 3 Mice. Decent for food within a theme park. If you’re looking for good pub food, get yourself over to Raglan Road at Downtown Disney. It’s awesome.

Oh, and if you’re not into sitting inside on a beautiful day, and you just want a pint and some fish and chips, you can head to the window at the right of the pub.

Yorkshire County Fish Shop, UK Pavilion EPCOT

Yorkshire County Fish Shop

The view is fantastic. (Especially if you can get it for Illuminations.)

Seating for Yorkshire Fish Shop

Seating for Yorkshire Fish Shop

What do you do with all of those leftover eggs? Make Scotch Eggs!

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It’s that time of year again…the time when my fridge contains two dozen hard-boiled white eggs. (OK, they’re dyed, but they started out white, which means they are not the extra-yummy eggs from our local farm.) And let’s face it, there are only so many egg-salad sandwiches a girl can eat.

What to do….what to do….HEY! I KNOW! Make Scotch eggs like at the Rose and Crown in EPCOT!

Scotch egg, Rose and Crown Pub, UK Pavilion - EPCOT

Scotch egg, Rose & Crown

So after the Easter festivities tomorrow, I’m going to give it a try. Here’s the recipe I plan to use, from Bon Appetit. Note that the eggs are soft boiled, so that they don’t overcook. If you haven’t yet boiled all of your eggs, set 4 aside for the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup finely crushed corn flakes
  • 7 ounces (3/4 cup) fresh breakfast sausage, casings removed (if necessary)
  • Vegetable oil (for frying)
  • Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
  • Mustard
  • Special Equipment:

    A deep-fry thermometer

Preparation

  • Place 4 eggs in a small saucepan; add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 3 minutes. Carefully drain, then fill pan with ice water to cool eggs. Gently crack shells and carefully peel under cold running water. Place eggs in a bowl of cold water; cover and chill until cold. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
  • Place flour in a wide shallow bowl and crushed corn flakes in another wide shallow bowl. Divide sausage into 4 equal portions. Pat 1 portion of sausage into a thin patty over the length of your palm. Lay 1 soft-boiled egg on top of sausage and wrap sausage around egg, sealing to completely enclose. Repeat with remaining sausage and eggs.
  • Whisk remaining 2 eggs in a medium bowl to blend. Working gently with 1 sausage-wrapped egg at a time, dip eggs into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in egg wash. Roll in corn flakes to coat. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated, uncovered.
  • Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of a large heavy pot. Pour in oil to a depth of 2” and heat over medium heat to 375°. Fry eggs, turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature of 350°, until sausage is cooked through and breading is golden brown and crisp, 5–6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to paper towels to drain. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve warm with mustard.

And here’s the mustard sauce recipe I’m planning to use, from SeriousEats.com.

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • Pinch salt
  • A few grinds freshly ground black pepper

I’ll post pictures of my handiwork when done. So who’s in?

Epilogue (2 days after Easter, 2012)

I did it – I made Scotch eggs. Here’s what I found:

1. Unless you’re very practiced, you will need more sausage than the recipe calls for above. It’s not easy to wrap in a thin layer (which means they will need a slightly longer cooking time, also.)

2. Sausage is sticky. Wet your hands as you work.

3. Next time I won’t use breakfast sausage, but will instead buy ground pork and spice it myself. I didn’t like the sage flavor – way too breakfast-y. I think it would be better with 5-spice powder or garam masala.

And yet, the verdict from my family was “supercalifragilisticexpialdelicious.”

Home made Scotch eggs like the Rose & Crown

MouseChow's Scotch Eggs attempt