Which Course Trivia Quiz

Answer: Starter

A prawn cocktail consists of prawns in a sauce, called either cocktail sauce or Marie Rose sauce, served cold on a bed of lettuce. The basic sauce, in the UK, is a mix of mayonnaise and tomato ketchup with lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce added. It is usually served in a glass container with buttered brown bread as an accompaniment.

It was particularly popular in the 1960s, falling out of favour a little in the 1980s. It is still available as a starter into the twenty-first century, often appearing on the menus in public houses.

Answer: Starter

Paté is another popular starter, with a range of flavours available. The most common is made from liver, but other options include paté mixed with mushrooms and those made with fish such as mackerel or salmon. The fish versions are usually mixed with cream cheese.

Paté is served with bread of various kinds, often toasted. Among the options are granary bread, French bread (baguette) or crusty bread - the paté is spread on the chosen bread before eating.

Answer: Starter

Gazpacho is a soup which originated in the Iberian Peninsula and is served cold. As a soup, you would normally expect to eat this as the first course of your meal.

The ingredients include tomatoes and other vegetables although the recipe has many regional variations. The gazpacho found in Portugal tends to be thicker in texture and resembles a salad in a sauce.

Answer: Starter

Crostini are an Italian appetiser, antipasto in their native language, often served as the starter course of a meal. Made from toasted bread, the toppings can be varied with cheese, meat and vegetables among the options. Even a layer of herbs mixed with olive oil can be offered.

The origin is believed to be mediaeval with the bread acting as a plate, which certainly saves on the washing up.

Answer: Main

Cassoulet is a rich stew which originated in the south of France. It probably dates from the Hundred Years War as a way of creating a meal from whatever was available, but the dish is now a regular on restaurant menus. It is named for the container in which it is cooked,

The primary ingredient is haricot beans with a mixture of meats which can vary according to the region. The meats often include duck, pork and sausage and the dish is topped with breadcrumbs.

Answer: Main

The name of this German dish translates to 'hunter's cutlet' in English and is a traditional dish. In earlier days, it was made from wild boar or venison but pork or veal is more common in recent times.

Recipes vary, with the meat cutlet sometimes breaded while other versions suggest leaving it unbreaded. The cutlet is served with a sauce made from mushrooms. It is often accompanied by spaetzle (a type of German pasta or noodle) although other options can work, such as fried or mashed potatoes.

Answer: Main

This Italian dish is mostly associated with the Lazio region in the west of the country, where the capital city of Rome is located. The name has its origins in carbonaro, which means charcoal burner, although the link to the dish isn't clear.

The main ingredient is, unsurprisingly, pasta which is often spaghetti. It is accompanied by a rich, creamy sauce made from eggs and Parmigiano reggiano, a type of Parmesan cheese. To this is added an Italian bacon called guanciale and the combination of this with the other ingredients is what creates the creamy texture.

Answer: Main

Paella is the Catalan word for a frying pan and the dish gets its name from this, the container in which it is cooked. The dish originated in the eastern region of Spain around the city of Valencia, which is located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

There are two main versions of paella, one made with meat (Paella valenciana) and the other, the one which is probably more familiar, contains seafood and is known as Paella de marisco. There is even a version which mixes both meat and fish. Other than those options, the dish is based on rice with saffron, or the cheaper turmeric, used as colouring. Other ingredients include any of tomato, beans and other vegetables.

Answer: Dessert

Another dish which is often said to have originated in Spain and Portugal, churros have spread to other parts of the world, particularly South America and Mexico, former colonies of these two countries. There is a theory that the idea came from China, before being modified.

Churros are made from a dough which is piped into various shapes, often in a shape resembling a drop earring. The churros are then deep fried and can be dipped in chocolate or sprinkled with sugar. They are often sold by street vendors.

Answer: Dessert

This Scottish dessert was created as a celebration of the raspberry harvest, and is regularly named the 'King of Scottish Desserts'. It is served in a glass tumbler and looks rather like a layered trifle.

As mentioned, the fruit component is raspberries which are layered with whipped cream or a traditional Scottish cheese called Crowdie. Toasted oats, whisky and honey are mixed into the cream and the dish is finished with a cream layer on top, sprinkled with some of the oats and garnished with raspberries.

Answer: Dessert

This dessert is believed to have been created in the nineteenth century at Eton College, an elite fee-paying school located in Berkshire in southern England. It is traditionally served at cricket matches between Eton and another public school, named Harrow.

The ingredients are fruit - strawberries are normal but other berries are used - whipped cream and broken pieces of meringue.

Answer: Dessert

Originating in the Limousin region of France, one of the country's central areas, clafoutis is traditionally a type of cherry pie. The dish has been adapted to use other fruits, but black cherries are the original version, and are used with the stones still in the fruit.

The cherries are arranged in a dish before a batter made from flour, egg butter, sugar and milk is poured over them. The dish is then baked and can be served with cream or custard, or just as it is. Apparently, it is also classed as a breakfast dish.