Demand for frozen food in the United Kingdom is rising and such products are increasingly on the home menu. Indeed, Waitrose & Partners reports searches for “Frozen Ready Meals” at its website are up by 500% compared to last year.
Aiming to cash in on this trend, the Backnell, Berkshire, England-headquartered supermarket chain operator has “reimagined the frozen meal to give it a modern and luxury twist.” Launching in late May, its new 24-item range includes everything from classic pies to quick and easy ramen noodles, using innovative cooking techniques such as sous vide and en papillote.
Included in the assortment are underutilized British Ray Wings. The seafood dish will be presented with lemon butter and capers cooked in en papillote style to keep all of the juice and flavor for a succulent finish. These wild caught fish are a sustainable fish option in the United Kingdom, and with searches for “sustainable fish” up by 125% at Waitrose.com, there would seem to be a real appetite for ray wings.
Waitrose & Partners’ British Ray Wings are prepared in en papillon style, accented with lemon butter and capers.
Among other highlights in the range are:
- Italian-inspired Slow-cooked Pork Belly. Sous vide prepared for eight hours with garlic, herbs and citrus zest, the dish is ready to be finished in the oven.
- Keralan Cod, Squid & King Prawn Curry. The seafood ingredients are cooked from raw to maintain texture and flavor, and then finished with creamed coconut, red chili, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes.
- King Prawn and Miso Ramen, with fresh noodles, broccoli florets and spring onion. This dish is ready after just five minutes for a speedy dinner.
“In developing this range we wanted to make sure our customers were getting top quality ingredients and a range of flavors, textures and cooking techniques,” said Waitrose Product Director James Bennington. “We believe there is something for everyone here, and by using innovative freezing techniques it means we can offer extremely fresh produce, ready to cook straight to our customers.”
Other recipes in the new Waitrose & Partners line include:
Slow-cooked Beef and Ale Pie; Chicken, Ham Hock and Leek Pie; Roasted Vegetable and Goats Cheese Tart; Aubergine and Butternut Squash Parmigiana; Keralan Butternut Squash Curry; Asian-inspired Beetroot and Aubergine Curry; Slow-cooked Beef with Smoked Bacon and Chianti; Slow-cooked Beef Madras; Cottage Pie; Chicken Breasts with Leeks, Creme Fraiche and White Wine; Middle Eastern-inspired Chicken Pilaf; Chicken Provençal.
Also ready for purchase in Waitrose freezer aisles later this month are:
Beef and Smoked Bacon Lasagne; Creamy Haddock en Croûte; Cod Fillet Provençal; Cod fillet with Pea, Crème Fraîche and Mint; Cod fillet with a White Wine, Garlic and Herb Butter; King Prawn, Mussel and Clam Tagliatelle; Clam, King Prawn and Mussel Cassoulet; Chicken and Mushroom Ramen.
