Crumble is a famous dish from English cuisine that is prepared both sweet and savory. The name of the dish is kept so due to the crumbled mixture of ingredients used in the preparation. The main preparation of this dish involves a fruit mixture at the bottom with a crusty topping. The sweet version of this popular dish is typically served with various dessert and ice creams; whereas the savory variety is served as a main dish. Fruit crumbles are quite popular in English as well as other international cuisines. The simplicity of the preparation and minimal use of ingredients make this dish a very famous dish across the globe. In American cuisine, a similar dish called ‘crisp’ is well-admired. ‘Cobbler’ is also similar to the crumble recipe, but cobbler is quite smooth and looks more like a cake. The sweet version is well-liked by children as well as adults.
The origin of crumble is quite old as it is believed to be birthed during World War II in England. At the time of war the government had put a strict rationing on various ingredients, due to which the flour, sugar and butter used to make the pies and cakes became scarce. This rationing led to the development of crumble that can simply be prepared with minimal amount of margarine, flour and sugar. During that time, this dish had also gained immense popularity due to its simple procedure. It is also said that this crusty dish is an adoption of popular American dish called ‘crisp’.
Sweet crumble is typically prepared with stewed fruits and a mixture of butter, flour and sugar. Fruits may be of any type including apple, blackberry, peach and plum. Rolled oats, almonds and various other nuts are also included to give variation to the crumble recipe. The nuts are often added to give crunch to the dish. In few recipes, a mixture of vinegar and milk that is called ‘sour milk’ is added to offer a sumptuous taste to the crumble. Milk also provides richness to the dish. The topping of this dish is quite significant. Various ingredients are used to make it more extravagant. Brown sugar is the one topping that is sprinkled in order to provide a caramelized look to the top. The sugar melts and gives a shining appearance. Often broken cookies or cereals are also sprinkled over the top; however these toppings are not traditional. Many contemporary crumble recipes include this type of topping. In savory variety, the main ingredients are meats, vegetables and any kind of sauce that goes well with other food stuffs. The crumble mixture is probably the same, but cheese is added in place of sugar.
Crumble is a baked dish. Traditionally, it is prepared in oven. Fruits that are to be added in the dish are stewed beforehand. The mixture of fruits along with nuts, and oats is placed at the bottom of the baking dish. A batter of flour butter, sugar and sometimes sour milk is prepared and poured over the layer of fruits. Toppings is done with either brown sugar or broken cookies. The baking dish is then kept in the oven until the outer layer of the crumble becomes crispy and brown. The savory version is baked with the bottom layer of boiled meat and vegetables covered with sauce. Meat or vegetables can also be stir-fried in a sauce instead of boiling separately. The crumble mixture is poured over the top.
Both, sweet and savory versions of crumble are served with various other dishes. Sweet version is served as a dessert with custard, ice creams or simply with whipped cream. Usually it is served as a warm dish. Savory crumble is typically served as a main dish with stir fried vegetables as a side dish. The fork and dessert spoons are used to eat sweet dish, where as savory dish is normally eaten with the help of fork and knife. Savory crumble can also be served as a hearty meal with soup.
Crumble is indeed a healthy dish as it involves lots of healthy fruits, vegetables and even meats. The fat or butter is also used in very minimal amounts. For diabetics, savory version is quite beneficial. It is also a good choice for kid recipes as it offers a healthy assortment of fruits.