Gordon Ramsay's Great British Pub Food (3 page)

Finely chop or mash 6 anchovy fillets and mix with the softened butter and a generous grinding of black pepper. Set aside.

Melt a few knobs of butter in a saucepan. In a bowl, whisk the eggs together with a pinch of cayenne, then pour into the pan and stir slowly over a gentle heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pan from the heat and continue to stir the eggs until they are scrambled and creamy.

Meanwhile, toast the bread slices. Spread them generously with the anchovy butter and place on warm serving plates. Add the capers to the scrambled eggs, then quickly spoon on top of the toasts. Garnish each serving with two crossed anchovies and serve.

450g smoked haddock fillets

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large leek, white part only, trimmed and finely chopped

300ml double cream black pepper

4 slices of thick country bread

3-4 pickled walnuts, drained and finely sliced

Enriching smoked haddock with cream gives the fish a lovely silky texture for this savoury base. Pickled walnuts add a sweet tang that cuts through the richness perfectly.

Bring a wide, shallow pan of water to a simmer and add the haddock fillets, skin side down. Poach gently for 3–4 minutes until the flesh is just cooked and flakes easily. Using a fish slice, carefully transfer the fish to a plate and leave to cool for a few minutes. While still warm, flake the fish, discarding the skin and removing any pin-bones.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the leek and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until soft. Pour in the cream and simmer until it has reduced slightly and thickened. Fold through the flaked fish. Add a generous grinding of black pepper and taste for seasoning. (You probably won’t need to add salt, as smoked haddock is usually quite salty.) Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Toast the bread slices and place on warm plates. Pile the smoked haddock mixture generously onto the toasts and arrange the pickled walnut slices on top. Serve at once.

4 large eggs

few drops of white wine or cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

300g spinach leaves, washed and dried

sea salt and black pepper nutmeg, to grate

4 slices of brown soda bread

12 anchovy fillets in oil, halved if large

This simple but delicious combination of salty anchovies, creamy poached eggs and earthy spinach atop crunchy toast makes a fantastic weekend brunch.

First, poach the eggs in advance. Bring a pan of water to a simmer. Add a few drops of vinegar and swirl with a slotted spoon to create a whirlpool effect. Cook the eggs two at a time: crack one into a small bowl and gently slide into the centre of the whirlpool; repeat with another egg. Poach for about 3 minutes until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny in the middle. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and slide into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Repeat to cook the other eggs.

When you are ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a wide pan. When hot, add the spinach leaves and stir over a high heat until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat and season well with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices and reheat the eggs in a pan of gently simmering water for a minute.

Place the toasts on warm serving plates and pile the wilted spinach on top. Drape the anchovies over the spinach. One at a time, remove the poached eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon. Dab the bottom of the spoon with kitchen paper to soak up any water, then place the egg on top of the anchovies. Grind over a little black pepper and serve at once.

250g St. George’s mushrooms, cleaned 40g butter

sea salt and black pepper

squeeze of lemon juice

few oregano sprigs, leaves only, chopped

small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

4 slices of brown or Granary bread

Even though it is not so well known among fungi, the St. George’s mushroom can take pride of place amongst the finest wild mushrooms, as its firm, meaty texture and distinctive woody flavour are hard to beat. This recipe also works well with portobello or chestnut mushrooms.

Slice the mushrooms thinly. Melt the butter in a wide frying pan and, as soon as it begins to foam, tip in the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and fry, stirring occasionally, over a high heat for a few minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and fry the mushrooms until lightly browned and any moisture has cooked off. Season well and toss in the herbs.

Meanwhile, toast the bread. Divide the mushrooms between the hot toasts and serve at once.

450g herring roes

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

75g butter, in pieces

4 slices of white or brown bread

handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

squeeze of lemon juice lemon wedges, to serve

For those who have yet to try herring roes, they have a surprising creaminess and delicious taste that is further enhanced with a little nutty butter and lemon juice. Pile them on freshly toasted crusty bread for a great balance of flavours and textures.

Rinse the herring roes and pat dry on kitchen paper. Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil. Season the roes with salt and pepper and fry in the hot pan for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Add the butter and allow to melt. Spoon the foaming butter over the roes as they cook for another minute or so, to encourage them to brown. Meanwhile, toast the bread.

Remove the herring roes from the heat, add the chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and toss through quickly. Check the seasoning.

Put a slice of toast on each warm plate and top with the herring roes, spooning over any buttery pan juices. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.

2 duck legs, about 300g each

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

few thyme sprigs

sea salt and black pepper

300g duck fat, melted

60g pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped

plenty of sourdough bread slices, freshly toasted

pickled onions and cornichons

Pistachios help to cut the richness of this tasty spread, as do the accompanying pickled onions and cornichons.

Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Put the duck legs, skin side up, into a roasting tin in which they fit snugly and scatter over the garlic, thyme and seasoning. Pour over the duck fat to cover. Roast for 2–2 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender and falls off the bone. Cool slightly, then lift the duck legs onto a plate, reserving the fat. Shred or finely chop the meat, discarding the skin. Place the meat in a bowl. Strain the fat through a fine sieve; set aside.

Add the pistachios to the duck and toss to mix, moistening with a little duck fat and seasoning generously to taste. Divide the mixture among 4–6 small jars or ramekins. Press down with the back of a spoon and pour over a thin layer of duck fat to cover. Chill until set.

Take the potted duck out of the fridge 30–40 minutes before serving to soften it slightly, so it can be spread. Serve with warm toast, pickled onions and cornichons.

150g unsalted butter, cubed

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

1/3 tsp ground mace

1/3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 anchovy fillet in oil, finely crushed to a paste

3 tbsp sherry

375g white crabmeat

75g brown crabmeat

sea salt and black pepper

2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste

plenty of brown or Granary bread slices, freshly toasted

This is a lovely way to serve crab, as you can really savour the flavour with every mouthful.

Melt 100g of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the shallots and sweat over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until they are soft but not browned. Stir in the spices, then the anchovy paste and sherry. Cook for a few more minutes until the alcohol from the sherry has evaporated.

Add the white and brown crabmeat to the spicy butter and stir to combine. Season well with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir over a low heat until the crabmeat is warmed through, then immediately take off the heat.

Divide the mixture between 4–6 small ramekins and press down lightly to level the tops. Melt the remaining 50g butter in the same pan and spoon a thin layer over the crabmeat to cover. Cool and chill until set.

Take the ramekins out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to allow the butter to soften. Serve with lots of warm toast.

150g unsalted butter, cubed

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

50ml medium dry sherry

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/3 tsp ground mace

1/3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra to finish

570ml pot Morecambe Bay brown shrimps

sea salt and black pepper 2 tsp lemon juice

plenty of white or brown bread slices, freshly toasted

Brown shrimps from Morecambe Bay are renowned for their nutty taste and delicate texture. They are caught and cooked straight away in seawater on the boats, to preserve their fantastic flavour. Use ordinary brown shrimps if you can’t get them.

Melt 120g of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the shallots and sweat over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until they are soft but not browned. Add the sherry and simmer until you can no longer detect an aroma of alcohol. Tip in the spices and stir well. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reduce the heat slightly, add the shrimps and stir to coat in the spicy butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a little salt and pepper, and the lemon juice. Once the shrimps are warmed through, remove the pan from the heat.

Spoon the shrimps and butter into six small ramekins and press down gently with the back of a spoon. Melt the remaining butter in the pan you cooked the shrimps in. Spoon a thin layer of clear butter over the potted shrimps to cover. Grate over a little nutmeg, then leave to cool completely. Chill until the butter has set.

Remove the potted shrimps from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, to allow the butter to soften. Serve with plenty of warm toast, and perhaps a sharply dressed watercress salad.

900g shin of beef on the bone (ask your butcher to crack the bone)

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 leek, trimmed and cut into large chunks

1 onion, trimmed and cut into large chunks

2 bay leaves

¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper, to taste

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp black peppercorns

1 mace blade

sea salt and black pepper

handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

sourdough bread, freshly toasted, or country bread slices

piccalilli or pickled gherkins

Hough is the Scottish name for shin of beef on the bone, an inexpensive flavoursome joint with a little more fat than most other beef cuts. Here it is braised until tender, then the meat is taken off the bone, shredded and mixed with the reduced stock prior to potting. It is not essential to cover the potted meat with a layer of fat, but it is best consumed within 4–5 days.

Place the beef in a large cooking pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and skim off any froth or scum that rises to the surface. Continue to skim until the liquid is pretty much clear, then add the flavouring vegetables, bay leaves, spices and seasoning. Partially cover the pan and simmer very gently over a very low heat for 4–4 1/2 hours until the beef is meltingly tender, skimming off any scum from time to time.

When the beef is ready, remove the pan from the heat and allow the beef to cool in the liquor. When cool enough to handle, lift out the beef and shred the meat from the bone. Put into a large bowl, cover and set aside.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pan. Boil steadily for 15–20 minutes or until reduced by three-quarters, to about 250–300ml. Season the reduced stock generously to taste, then pour over the shredded meat to bind. Taste and adjust the seasoning once again, and mix in the chopped parsley. Divide between four small ramekins, packing the meat in well. Cool completely, then chill until set.

Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. To unmould, dip a ramekin in a bowl of hot water for a few seconds, then invert and tip out onto a plate. Serve with warm sourdough toasts or rustic country bread and piccalilli or pickled gherkins on the side.

8 lamb kidneys, rinsed few knobs of butter sea salt and black pepper

375ml medium dry sherry

4 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp redcurrant jelly

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 tbsp dry English mustard

4 thick slices of country bread

handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped (optional)

Lamb’s kidneys have a fairly strong and distinctive taste, which can take a slightly spicy, sweet and sour devil sauce. This savoury is equally suitable for a weekend brunch or a fast, light supper.

First, prepare the devil sauce. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan, add some salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Let bubble for about 15–20 minutes until reduced right down to a syrupy sauce that is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, to prepare the kidneys, cut them in half lengthways and carefully remove the white sinewy cores with the tip of a small knife.