Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food (17 page)

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over a high heat and put a bowl of iced water in the sink. Add the tomatoes to the water and boil for 10 seconds, then immediately drain and
put them in the iced water to stop the cooking. Drain them again and use a small knife to peel off the skins. Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds and finely dice the flesh. Leave to one
side until needed.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a paella pan or very large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and fry for 5–8 minutes until the skin is
caramelised and brown all over. Remove them from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and leave to one side.

Add the chorizo to the pan and fry, stirring occasionally, until a little tinged. Remove the chorizo from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and leave to one side. Add the onion,
the green and red peppers and the garlic to the pan and fry, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the sweet paprika, cayenne and saffron. Add the paella rice and stir around so it is well
coated. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Add the tomatoes.

Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered and without stirring, for 15–20 minutes. Gently stir in the peas, lay the tiger prawns on top and return the chicken thighs
and chorizo sausage to the pan. Continue simmering for a further 15 minutes, turning the prawns over once halfway through to make sure they cook all the way through, or until the rice is tender.
You may need to add a little more stock. Stir in the parsley and lemon zest and juice. Check to see if it needs any salt and pepper. Garnish with a lemon in the middle of the pan and serve
immediately.

This is a dish that we had on The Hand & Flowers’ menu when we first opened. It’s a firm favourite of mine – and in pubs up and down the country. Although
someone did complain once that it had too much fish in it?! The use of the smoked salmon here gives the fishcakes extra depth of flavour.

Makes 4

For the watercress soup

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1½ hours, or until they are baked through and tender. Remove them from the oven, but
do not turn off the oven. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh, then put it though a potato ricer into a bowl or use a masher. Season the salmon,
wrap it in kitchen foil and place it on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the salmon for 8–10 minutes until just cooked through and the flesh flakes easily.

Weigh out 350g of the baked potatoes and put in a large bowl. Mix in the capers, dill, parsley, mustard powder, cayenne, salt and lemon zest, then mix in the smoked salmon.
Gently break the salmon pieces into large chunks and fold them into the mix. Divide the mix into four equal balls and shape into fishcakes. Cover with clingfilm, place in the fridge and leave to
rest for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

Meanwhile, make the watercress soup. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the shallots and fry, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes until softened, but
not coloured. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then continue boiling until it reduces by half. Pour in the double cream and return the liquid to the boil. Add the watercress, then
immediately pour into a blender and season. Blend the soup until smooth, then pass it through a fine sieve. Leave to one side until needed.

To coat the fishcakes with breadcrumbs, put the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs into separate bowls in a row on the work surface. One by one, dip the fishcakes first into the
flour, tapping off any excess, then into the eggs, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and then into the breadcrumbs, patting them on. Place each fishcake on kitchen paper as it is coated
and leave to one side until ready to fry.

When ready to fry the fishcakes, heat the rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fishcakes and fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown,
crispy and hot all the way through. Drain on kitchen paper. Meanwhile, reheat the soup, if necessary.

Serve each of the fishcakes with a bowl of soup on the side.

Tom’s Tip

Use the baked potato skins from the Warm Crayfish and Watercress Salad in Potato Skins (see
here
).

This is a change to the pub classic of smoked haddock and poached egg. It has a little more crunch and texture here from the breadcrumbs and the fried egg. This goes very well with a crisp salad
or wilted spinach.

Makes 4

For the cheese sauce

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1½ hours, or until they are baked through and tender. Remove them from the oven, but
do not turn off the oven. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh, then put it though a potato ricer into a bowl or use a masher. Weight out 350g of
the baked potatoes, put it in a large bowl and leave to one side until needed. Put the milk in a large saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Place the smoked haddock into the milk and
turn off the heat. Cover the pan and leave the smoked haddock to gently poach in the residual heat for 8–10 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the flesh flakes easily.

Remove the haddock from the pan and reserve the poaching milk. When the smoked haddock is cool
enough to handle, remove all bones and the skin and discard.
Flake the flesh into large pieces and leave to one side until needed.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir for 2–3 minutes to cook out the raw flavour. Slowly whisk in the haddock
poaching milk, whisking constantly, to make a thick white sauce. Remove the pan from the heat. Whilst the sauce is still hot, add the Gruyère cheese and Parmesan cheese, stirring until they
have melted. Stir in the the crème fraîche and Dijon mustard and season. Keep on one side.

Add the mozzarella, chives, black pepper and salt to the mashed potatoes, then gently fold in the smoked haddock. Divide the mix into four equal balls and shape into fishcakes.
Cover with clingfilm, place in the fridge and leave to rest for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

To coat the fishcakes with breadcrumbs, put the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs into separate bowls in a row on the work surface. One by one, dip the fishcakes first into the
flour, tapping off any excess, then into the eggs, letting the excess drip back into the bowl, and then into the breadcrumbs, patting them on. Place each fishcake on kitchen roll as it is coated
and leave until ready to fry.

When ready to fry the fishcakes, heat 4 tablespoons rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the fishcakes and fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden
brown, crispy and hot all the way through. Drain on kitchen paper and keep hot. Wipe out the pan with kitchen paper.

To fry the eggs, heat a thin layer of rapeseed oil in the pan over a medium heat. One by one, crack the eggs into the pan and fry for about 3 minutes until the whites are just
set. Season.

To serve, reheat the sauce, if necessary. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of 4 bowls, then add a fishcake into each and top each with a fried egg. Garnish the eggs with
chopped chives and serve immediately.

Served as a whole tart, this is a real centrepiece, full of flavour and colour. Gurnard is a great alternative for red mullet and is, perhaps, more plentiful and offers greater
value. This tart can also be made without any fish – just add more olives and basil.

Serves 4

For the tapenade

Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 25 x 12cm. Transfer the pastry to a sheet of baking parchment on a baking sheet. Cover with clingfilm
and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.

Meanwhile, make the tapenade. Put the black olives, anchovies, capers, Parmesan cheese and garlic in a food processor and process to break down. Add the olive oil and blend again
to make a thick purée. Leave to one side until needed.

When ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the pastry for 15–20 minutes until it is crisp and golden
brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully transfer the pastry to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and put a bowl of iced water in the sink. Add the tomatoes and boil for 10 seconds, then immediately drain and put them in the
iced water to stop the cooking. Drain the tomatoes again and use a small knife to peel off the skins.

Cut the tomatoes into ½cm slices and lay them on a non-metallic tray. Season with the thyme leaves, sugar and sea salt flakes, then leave for 15–20 minutes, until
they soften. Transfer to a clean tea towel and leave to dry.

Reheat the oven to 190°C/Gas Mark 5. Spread a layer of tapenade over the base of the puff pastry tart case, leaving a border on all sides. Layer the tomatoes on top, placing
a basil leaf between each slice. Drizzle the tart with olive oil and return to the oven for 5–8 minutes to warm through

While the tart is in the oven, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Dust the gurnard fillets in flour, shaking off the excess. Place
them in the oil, skin sides down, and fry for 7–8 minutes until not quite cooked through.

Remove the tart from the oven and place the gurnard fillets on top. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, then return to the oven for a further 1–2 minutes until the fish is
cooked through, the flesh flakes easily and the pastry is hot.

Remove the tart from the oven, drizzle with a little more olive oil and add a few fresh basil leaves. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and it’s ready to serve.