Angleterre. Tea, Piccalilli, Pasty ("England: Tea, Piccalilli, Pasty") by French writers Aurélie Bellacicco and Sarah Lachhab, a beautiful cookbook published in March by Editions de La Martinière, is to be read like a culinary travel guide. As in their previous book, Ecosse. Avoine, Haggis et Cranachan ("Scotland: Oats, Haggis and Cranachan"), published in 2022 by the same publisher, the two authors embarked on a gastronomic road trip. This time, they explored the land of The Beatles, inviting themselves to eat with the locals, meeting cheesemakers and restaurateurs, and visiting pubs and supermarkets.

From Yorkshire to Cornwall to London, "the Mecca of fish & chips," to Norfolk to Sussex, they have recorded their food memories in this 192-page travel diary – "a steaming curry in a pub, a cup of earl grey in a tea room, fish & chips on the beach" – in 60 recipes cooked and photographed by Aurélie, assisted by her cat Darwin (who also appeared in the trip to Scotland).

Of course, this food diary gives pride of place to the classics, with no fewer than 10 pages devoted to the famous English breakfast, but it is also, and above all, a series of reports from the countryside and the land, with short nature and culture reports on the British art of living, going against the grain of prejudice. Reputed to be "bland, dated and industrial," English cuisine is instead "inventive, healthy and connected to the land," explained the authors, while showing, from scone to pancake to Christmas pudding, just how delicious clichés can be.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients for 5 people

Preparation

In a large casserole dish, sauté bacon pieces over medium heat until golden brown and crisp.

Reserve a little for serving. Add the onion, butter and apple and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to brown. Pour in the peas and 60 cl of chicken stock, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes until the peas are cooked.

Remove from the heat, add the mint and blend to a thick soup. Dilute soup with remaining chicken stock until desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a little crème fraîche and sprinkle with a few pieces of bacon.

Good to know: The soup keeps for up to four days in the fridge in an airtight container. It's delicious eaten as a starter or snack with a cheese scone or some fresh bread.

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