Gordon Ramsay's Great British Pub Food (12 page)

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Cut the lamb into chops, about 2cm thick, trimming off any fat. Season the flour with salt and pepper and use to dust the chops lightly. If using kidneys, halve them and snip out the core with a pair of kitchen scissors, then cut each half in two.

Heat half the olive oil in a wide frying pan and fry the lamb in batches, for 2 minutes on each side or until evenly browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Dust the kidneys in seasoned flour and fry for 11/2 minutes on each side until browned; transfer to the plate.

Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the onion, carrots and garlic with a little seasoning for about 4–5 minutes until lightly browned. Tip in any remaining seasoned flour and fry for another minute or so. Pour the stock into the pan, stirring, and add the thyme and rosemary. Simmer for 5–10 minutes, then take the pan off the heat.

Assemble the hotpot in a buttered, deep casserole dish. Layer the meat, browned vegetables and sauce in the dish, seasoning well between each layer. Top with two or three layers of neatly overlapping potato slices, brushing each layer with butter and seasoning well.

Cook in the oven for about 11/2–2 hours until the meat is tender and the potatoes are golden brown and crisp around the edges. To check, insert a thin skewer through the potatoes and meat; it should meet with little resistance. If the potatoes appear to be browning too quickly in the oven, cover loosely with a piece of foil. Leave the hotpot to stand for 10–15 minutes before serving.

1–1.2kg boneless pork belly (ideally a leaner piece)

sea salt and black pepper

1–11/2 tbsp olive oil

200g dried haricot beans, soaked overnight in cold water

500ml medium cider

600ml chicken stock (see page 243)

1 small onion, peeled 8 cloves

1 tbsp tomato purée

4–5 tbsp honey

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, few thyme and parsley sprigs, tied together)

2 leeks, trimmed

1 celery stick, trimmed

3 medium carrots, peeled

This wonderful one-pot stew is the perfect winter warmer. Pork belly lends itself to a sweet and slightly tart sauce, which helps to counteract the richness of the meat. Serve with warm bread to soak up the tasty sauce.

Remove and discard the rind from the pork belly. Cut the meat into bite-sized cubes and season with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the pork in several batches, allowing about 11/2–2 minutes on each side.

Drain the haricot beans and place in the casserole. Return all the browned meat, then pour in the cider and stock. Bring to a simmer and skim off the scum that rises to the surface. Add the onion studded with the cloves, the tomato purée, honey, Worcestershire sauce and bouquet garni.

Partially cover the pan with a lid and simmer slowly for 2–21/2 hours until the beans and pork are just tender, giving the mixture an occasional stir.

Thinly slice the leeks and celery, and slice the carrots into rounds. Skim off the fat from the surface of the stew, then add the vegetables with some seasoning. Give the mixture a stir. Simmer for another 20–30 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Check the seasoning before serving.

2kg unsmoked boneless gammon, soaked overnight

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and roughly choppe

1 leek, trimmed and roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 tsp black peppercorn’s

1 litre medium cider

small handful of cloves

60ml honey

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

60g dark muscovado sugar

Don’t just think of baked whole gammon as a dish for the festive season. Our easy cider braised ham can be enjoyed at any time’ó of the year and it makes a lovely main course for Sunday lunch. Suitable accompaniments include glazed carrots and parsnips, and roasted or mashed sweet potatoes. Any leftover ham will be delicious served cold with salad and pickles.

Drain the gammon and put into a large cooking pot. Add enough cold water to cover and slowly bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes, then carefully pour off the water along with the froth from the surface.

Add the vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns to the ham in the pot. Pour in the cider and top up with cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer, partially cover and cook gently, for 21/2–3 hours, skimming frequently and topping up with boiling water as necessary.

Take the ham out of the pan and rest on a board until cool enough to handle. (If the cooking liquor is not too salty, save it and use to make London particular, see page 69). Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.

Peel off the skin from the ham and cut away some of the fat, if necessary, to leave a thin even layer. Using a sharp knife, score the fat in a criss-cross pattern, at about 1.5cm intervals. Stud each diamond with a clove. Place the ham in a large roasting pan. Mix together the ingredients for the glaze and brush over the ham. Roast for 20–25 minutes until nicely browned, basting halfway through.

As you take the ham from the oven, brush with a little more glaze, cover with foil and leave to rest for 30 minutes (in a warm place if serving the ham hot). Carve into thin slices and serve with vegetables of your choice.

2 beef cheeks, about 500g each

2 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

2–3 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stick, trimmed and chopped

1 leek, trimmed and chopped

2 bay leaves

few thyme sprigs

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp brown sugar

300ml Guinness or other stout

400ml beef or veal stock (see page 244)

125g self-raising flour

125g suet

½ tsp salt

small handful of mixed herbs, such as parsley, chives and chervil, chopped

1 heaped tsp creamed horseradish

4–5 tbsp water

Stout gives this rich, dark stew a lovely deep colour and flavour, and the herby horseradish dumplings go perfectly.

Trim off any excess fat from the cheeks and cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix the flour with a little salt and pepper and use to lightly coat the beef pieces. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a heavy-based flameproof casserole. Brown the beef in batches for 4–6 minutes, turning to colour evenly, then remove to a plate.

Drizzle a little more oil into the pan and add the vegetables, along with the bay leaves and thyme. Stir in the tomato purée and sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, over a high heat for 6–8 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften and colour.

Pour in the stout and let bubble for 5–10 minutes until reduced by about half. Return the meat to the pan. Add the stock to cover the meat and vegetables. Season well, bring to the boil and put the lid on. Simmer gently for 3–31/2 hours until the beef is just tender, stirring every once in a while. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile, to make the dumplings, put the flour, suet, salt and a good pinch of pepper into a large bowl. Mix well, then stir in the chopped herbs. Make a well in the centre and add the creamed horseradish and 4 tbsp water. Mix to a firm dough that comes away from the sides of the bowl cleanly. If it is a bit dry, add a little more water. Turn the dough out onto a clean board and sprinkle over some flour. Roll the dough out into a sausage shape, then divide into 8 balls.

Carefully drop the dumplings into the stew, spacing them apart to allow for them to double in size during cooking. Replace the lid and cook for a further 20–30 minutes until the dumplings have puffed up and are light and fluffy. Serve with seasonal vegetables.

1kg neck of lamb fillet

3 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

2–3 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

600g turnips, peeled and cut into small chunks

splash of sherry

few thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 litre lamb stock (see page 245)

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

Featuring neck of lamb, an economical cut well suited to slow braising, this is a wonderfully comforting stew for wintry days. We also like to serve it in the spring when we add a selection of spring vegetables, such as baby turnips, young carrots, fresh peas and broad beans – towards the end of cooking to retain their vibrant colours and flavours.

Cut the lamb into bite-sized pieces, then lightly coat them in the flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Heat a wide frying pan and add a thin layer of olive oil. Fry the lamb pieces in several batches until evenly browned all over. Remove to a plate, using a slotted spoon.

Add a little more oil to the pan as necessary and tip in the onion and turnips. Add a pinch of seasoning and fry over a high heat for 4–6 minutes until the vegetables take on a little colour. Pour in a splash of sherry and let it bubble down to a glaze.

Return the lamb to the pan and add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and the stock to cover. Bring to a simmer and skim off the froth and scum from the surface. Partially cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 2–3 hours until the lamb is tender.

If the sauce is too thin, strain the liquid into a wide saucepan and boil until reduced and thickened to a light coating consistency. Season well to taste. Add the lamb and vegetables to the sauce to reheat for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.

Gammon steak with pineapple and fried duck egg Marinated chicken with minted broad beans and peas Barnsley chop with kidneys Lamb steak with redcurrant sauce Citrus spatchcocked quail with sautéed potatoes Veal escalope with asparagus and mushrooms Rib-eye steak with chips and sauce choron Sirloin steak with green peppercorn sauce Liver, bacon and caramelized onions Pork chop with champ

1 medium pineapple

4 thin gammon steaks, about 150-200g each

few knobs of butter, plus extra melted for brushing

a little caster sugar, to sprinkle

2 tbsp olive oil or duck fat

4 duck eggs

black pepper

Grilled gammon steak and pineapple is a classic pairing, but our version of this dish includes a duck egg with its deliciously rich, creamy yolk. Eaten together, it’s our idea of heaven on a fork.

To prepare the pineapple, slice off the top and the bottom and then stand it upright on a board. Cut away the skin, following the curve of the fruit, and remove any remaining ‘black eyes’ with the tip of your knife. Turn the pineapple on its side and cut into 1cm thick slices. Remove the core, using an apple corer or a small pastry cutter. You need 4 neat slices. (Save the rest for a fruit salad or eat as a snack.)

Preheat the grill to its highest setting. If you wish, remove the rind from the gammon, leaving a layer of fat surrounding each steak. Snip the fat with kitchen scissors at 2cm intervals all around, to prevent the steaks from curling up as they cook. Brush the steaks on both sides with melted butter and lay them on the grill pan rack. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the gammon is cooked through and the fat is golden brown and crisp. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, set two wide frying pans over a medium heat. Melt a few knobs of butter in one frying pan. Sprinkle the pineapple rings with caster sugar and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and caramelized. At the same time, heat the olive oil or duck fat in the other pan, carefully crack in the duck eggs and fry until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny in the middle. (You may need to cook them in two batches if your pan is not large enough.)

Put a gammon steak on each warm plate and top with a pineapple ring and a fried duck egg. Grind some black pepper over the eggs and serve immediately.

4 chicken supremes (breast with skin and wing tip attached), about 200-225g each

finely pared zest of 2 lemons

1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed

1 tsp black peppercorns, lightly crushed

few rosemary sprigs

few thyme sprigs

100ml olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

50g butter, softened

½ tsp chopped tarragon

½ tsp chopped chervil or flat-leaf parsley

200g podded fresh or frozen broad beans, thawed if frozen

150g podded fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen

few knobs of butter

few mint sprigs, leaves only, chopped

This is a fantastic, colourful dish for spring, when fresh peas and broad beans are abundant, sweet and tender.

Put the chicken into a bowl with the lemon zest, crushed seeds and pepper, herbs, olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Toss to coat, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.

For the herb butter, in a bowl, beat the butter with the chopped herbs and some seasoning until well blended. Shape into a log on a piece of cling film and wrap in the film. Chill in the fridge until firm.

Blanch the broad beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes until tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of iced water to refresh, then drain. Add the peas to the pan and blanch for 3 minutes, then refresh in iced water and drain. Slip the broad beans out of their skins. Place them in a bowl with the peas and set aside.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Place a wide oven proof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Lift the chicken out of the marinade into the hot pan and fry, skin side down, for 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Add the thyme and rosemary sprigs to the pan. Turn the chicken breasts over and fry the underside for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip the chicken breasts again and place the pan in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through; it should feel just firm when lightly pressed. Leave to rest in a warm place while you reheat the peas and broad beans.