Gordon Ramsay's Great British Pub Food (16 page)

Clementine cakes with cranberry sauce

Hot chocolate fondants

Plum fool

Treacle tart

Rice pudding with poached rhubarb and ginger

Summer pudding

Jam roly poly

Manchester tart

Apple charlotte

Pimm’s jellies

Sussex pond pudding

London syllabub

Sherry trifle

Gypsy tart

Queen of puddings

Pears poached in perry

Strawberry tart

125g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease

6 large, ripe clementines, peeled and segmented

175g caster sugar

1 tbsp water

2 large eggs

125g self-raising flour, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 tbsp orange juice

300g cranberries (thawed, if frozen)

150g caster sugar

juice of 3 clementines

pouring cream

These clementine-topped upside down cakes are best eaten warm from the oven. Keep any extra cranberry sauce in the fridge to spoon over pancakes and waffles, or pair with ham.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Butter 6 or 7 small pudding moulds or ramekins, depending on size. Heat a wide pan over a high heat. Toss the clementine segments with 50g sugar. Tip into the pan, add 1 tbsp water and cook for a minute until slightly softened but still holding their shape. Spoon them into the base of the prepared moulds, along with the juices. Set aside to cool while making the sponge.

Cream the butter and remaining 125g caster sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of the flour with the second egg. Beat in the vanilla extract and orange zest. Fold in the rest of the flour in two batches. Finally fold through the orange juice until evenly combined.

Spoon the mixture into the moulds to two-thirds fill them, and smooth the tops. Stand on a baking tray and bake for 20–25 minutes or until risen and golden brown on top. To test, insert a thin skewer inserted into the centre—it should come out clean.

While the cakes are in the oven, make the cranberry sauce. Put the cranberries, sugar, clementine juice and a splash of water into a wide pan and stir frequently over a high heat until the berries have burst and softened. Keep cooking for 10 minutes or so, until the mixture is thick and pulpy. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

Once the clementine cakes are cooked, leave them in their moulds for a few minutes, then run a thin, flexible knife around the edge of each one and invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm, with a spoonful of cranberry sauce on the side and a generous drizzle of cream.

90g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease

100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

50g caster sugar

20g plain flour

good-quality vanilla ice cream

This is the ultimate pudding for chocolate lovers. It has the consistency of a moist chocolate cake on the outside and a warm and gooey mousse in the middle. The puddings must be eaten straight after baking, preferably with vanilla ice cream.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Butter 6 small ramekins or pudding moulds and stand them on a baking tray.

Put the butter and chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently until the butter and chocolate have melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric beater. Keep whisking until the mixture is pale, thick and has roughly tripled in volume. Carefully fold in the chocolate mixture, followed by the flour. Spoon the mixture into the buttered ramekins, dividing it equally. (The puddings can be prepared a day ahead to this stage and kept in the fridge.)

Bake the chocolate fondants just before serving, allowing 7–8 minutes (or if taking them straight from the fridge, bake for 10–11 minutes). They should be set on the outside, but the centre should be soft and slightly runny.

To unmould, run a thin, flexible knife around each pudding and invert it onto a serving plate. Serve at once, with vanilla ice cream.

400g firm, but ripe plums

100g caster sugar, or to taste

juice of 1 lemon

3 tbsp water

300ml double cream

1-2 tbsp icing sugar, to taste

300ml crème fraîche, or thick creamy yoghurt

This simple British classic is a great way to use up ripe plums in the autumn. Any variety of plum will work for this recipe but do taste a little first for sweetness, then adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.

Cut the plums in half, remove the stones and roughly chop the fruit. Place in a saucepan with the sugar, lemon juice and water, and slowly bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 10–15 minutes until soft. Transfer the plums and syrup to a blender and blend to a smooth purée. Tip into a wide bowl and leave to cool completely.

Whip the double cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Fold through the crème fraîche, then add two-thirds of the puréed plums and give the mixture a few folds to create a rippled effect.

Divide the remaining plum purée between serving glasses and top with the cream mixture. Serve immediately or chill until required

300g sweet flan pastry (see page 248)

450g golden syrup

85g white breadcrumbs

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

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tsp ground ginger

60g butter, melted

3 large egg yolks

70ml double cream

¹
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tsp black treacle

whipped cream or crème fraîche

This is the treacle tart to die for. It tastes even better a day after baking, when the breadcrumbs have had time to absorb the wonderfully moist filling. Serve individual slices with dollops of whipped cream or crème fraîche to tone down the sweetness of the filling.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round, the thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a 23–24cm round shallow tart tin, with removable base, leaving some excess pastry overhanging the rim. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.

Line the pastry case with baking paper and dried or ceramic baking beans and bake ‘blind’ for 15–20 minutes until the sides are set and lightly golden. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or until the base is cooked through. While still warm, cut off the excess pastry to level with the rim of the tin. Lower the oven setting to 140°C/Gas 1.

For the filling, gently heat the golden syrup by immersing the bottle or tin in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Mix the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and ground ginger together in a large bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour in the warm golden syrup and add the butter, egg yolks, cream, treacle and lemon juice. Stir well to mix.

Pour the filling into the pastry case. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the top has just set, but the centre is slightly wobbly when you shake the tin gently. It should still feel slightly soft in the centre. Let the tart cool completely before slicing and serving, with cream or crème fraîche.

200g pudding rice

600ml whole milk

pinch of fine sea salt

100g caster sugar

200ml single cream (optional)

125g caster sugar

450ml water

1 ball of stem ginger in syrup, finely sliced into matchsticks

300g rhubarb

A warming rice pudding is truly comforting when there is a chill in the air. We usually serve rice pudding warm, but there is no reason why you can’t enjoy it cold—just stir a little extra cream into the cold pudding to loosen it, as it tends to firm up in the fridge. The rhubarb should be chilled in its poaching syrup so that the flavours continue to meld together.

First, make the rice pudding. Put the rice, milk, salt and sugar into a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring once or twice, then turn the heat down to its lowest setting and partially cover the pan with a lid. Simmer slowly for about 40–50 minutes until the rice is tender, giving it a stir every once in a while to prevent it from catching and burning on the bottom of the pan. You may also want to top up with a little more hot milk or boiling water halfway through cooking if the rice appears to be a bit dry.

For the rhubarb, put the sugar, water and stem ginger into a medium saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat slightly and simmer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, trim the rhubarb and cut diagonally into short lengths. Add to the pan and poach for 3–4 minutes until the pieces are slightly softened but still holding their shape.

Drain the poached rhubarb and place in a bowl, reserving the syrup. Pour the syrup back into the pan and boil vigorously until reduced and thickened. Pour over the rhubarb pieces and leave to cool slightly.

When the rice pudding is ready, remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the cream, if using. Spoon into individual bowls and top with the poached rhubarb to serve.

400g strawberries, hulled

900g mixed berries, such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and redcurrants

170g caster sugar

5 tbsp crème de cassis (or kirsch)

3 tbsp water

1 brioche loaf (unsliced)

lightly whipped cream

Along with strawberries and cream, summer pudding is the quintessential British summer dessert. Use any combination of ripe, soft berries, but do try to get a mix of red and dark berries.

Halve the strawberries, or quarter them if large. Strip the redcurrants from their stalks. Set aside with the rest of the berries.

Put the sugar, cassis and water into a saucepan and stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 5–8 minutes to reduce the syrup slightly. Tip in the blackberries and redcurrants and cook for a minute. Add the rest of the berries and simmer for a couple of minutes until softened slightly, but still holding their shape. Tip them into a sieve set over a large bowl to catch the juice. Let cool slightly.

Have ready a 1.2 litre pudding basin. Cut off the crusts from the brioche, then cut lengthways into thin slices, about 5mm thick. Cut out a brioche round the size of the base of the pudding basin, using a pastry cutter. Dip in the juice, then place in the basin. Set aside a large slice for the top. Line the side of the basin with the rest of the brioche slices, dipping them in the juice first and overlapping them slightly; trim to fit as necessary.

Pile the warm fruit into the brioche-lined basin. Cut a lid from the reserved brioche slice, dip in the fruit juice and lay over the berries. (If necessary, use the brioche trimmings to fill in any gaps.) Spoon over 2–3 tbsp juice, saving the rest for serving.

Cover with cling film, then press a saucer on top of the pudding and weigh down with a tin. Chill for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, uncover, then run a thin, flexible knife around the side of the pudding. Turn out onto a serving dish and spoon over the reserved juice. Slice and serve with lightly whipped cream.

250g self-raising flour

pinch of fine sea salt

70g shredded suet

50g unsalted butter, melted

about 125ml whole milk

3–4 tbsp raspberry jam, warmed

1 medium egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze

caster sugar, to sprinkle

custard (see page 249)

This old-time favourite is enjoying something of a revival on traditional pub menus. It is delightfully simple to make and is likely to be popular with children. For grown-ups, serve it with dollops of crème fraîche flavoured with Grand Marnier or Cointreau.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl. Add the suet, mix well, then make a well in the middle. Add the melted butter, then pour in most of the milk, holding back 1–2 tbsp. Mix to a soft but not sticky dough, adding the remaining milk as necessary if the dough is too dry.

Roughly shape the dough into a rectangle and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a 5mm thickness. Trim the edges to neaten. Spread a thin layer of jam over the dough, leaving a 1.5cm margin clear around the edges. Dab the margin with a little water or milk. Roll up the rectangle from a long side to form a neat log and lift onto a baking sheet, placing it seam side down.

Brush the log with the egg glaze and sprinkle with caster sugar. Bake for about 35–40 minutes until the top is lightly golden. Don’t worry if the roly poly has cracked in the middle—this is a characteristic of the pudding. Leave to cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving, with warm custard.

300g sweet flan pastry (see page 248)

75ml double cream 1

tbsp icing sugar

1 quantity (650ml) pastry cream (see page 249)

3 tbsp raspberry jam

2 ripe medium bananas

squeeze of lemon juice

1
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tbsp desiccated coconut

1
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tbsp caster sugar

This is a deliciously simple old-fashioned jam and custard tart with the addition of sliced bananas and desiccated coconut. Purists may argue that the original recipe does not include bananas, but we love the way they bring the flavours of the jam and custard together. You can leave them out if you prefer.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round, the thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a 20cm round tart tin, 2-2.5cm deep, with removable base, leaving some excess pastry overhanging the rim. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.