Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food (25 page)

Serves 2

For the mushroom ketchup

First, make the mushroom ketchup. Put the mushrooms into a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped. Transfer the mushrooms to a saucepan over a medium heat and
cook, without stirring, until the water comes out from them and they are reduced down. It is important not to stir them immediately. This intensifies the mushroom flavour. When they have reabsorbed
the liquid they gave off, add the shallot, sugar and white wine vinegar and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Reduce the heat and leave the mix to simmer, uncovered, until all the liquid evaporates. Add the double cream and boil until it has reduced by half. Place in a blender, add the
anchovies and blend until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve, cover and chill until needed.

Heat 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, cut-side down, and sear for 10–15 minutes until blackened and charred. Once coloured,
flip the onions over and pour the chicken stock into the pan. Add the thyme and 50g of the butter and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the stock has evaporated
and the onions are soft. Set aside and keep hot.

Heat 4 tablespoons rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Season the bavette steaks heavily and place them into the pan. Add the remaining butter and fry the
steaks for about 4 minutes until the butter is foaming and turning nutty brown and the steaks are colouring all around. When the steaks are at this rare stage, squeeze in the lemon juice and baste
the steaks with the pan juices. Remove the steaks from the pan, cover with the wholegrain mustard and leave to rest for 8–10 minutes. This is very important, as these steaks can be quite
tough if over-cooked or not rested for long enough.

Meanwhile, reheat the mushroom ketchup, if necessary. After the steaks have rested, slice them against the grain and sprinkle with the chopped chives. Pour over the red wine
sauce, add the onion halves, garnish with the watercress and serve.

This savoury bread pudding is very rich, so you don’t need very much. It serves as a replacement for dumplings and soaks up loads of the rich gravy. Buttered cabbage is the
ideal accompaniment for this dish.

Jacob’s ladder is an alternative name for short rib of beef, and it’s an ideal cut for braising, with a high fat content and stunning flavour. Cooking it on the bone,
as in this recipe, also prevents too much shrinkage.

Serves 6

For the bone-marrow bread pudding

The day before you plan to cook, tie the bay leaves, coriander seeds and white peppercorns together in a piece of muslin. Place the beef, red wine and the muslin bag into a
non-metallic container. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Also the day before you plan to cook, to prepare the marrow for the bread pudding, dissolve the salt in a large non-metallic bowl of water. Remove the marrow from the bone and
place it in the bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place it in the fridge for 24 hours for any impurities to be removed.

The next day, remove the beef from the marinade, pat dry with kitchen paper and leave to one side. Transfer the red wine marinade to a saucepan and bring to the boil, skimming
the surface as necessary. Reserve the spice bag.

While the marinade is coming to the boil, preheat the oven to 130°C/Gas Mark ½.

Heat 4 tablespoons rapeseed oil a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the beef and sear on both sides until it turns a lovely dark colour to give some great flavour.
Transfer the seared beef to a large flameproof casserole. Add the celery, carrot, garlic, onion and spice bag to the pot on top of the beef. Pour over the beef stock and the skimmed marinade and
bring to the boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 3–3½ hours until the beef is tender. Remove the pot from the oven and leave the beef in the pot, covered, for about 1 hour
until it is cool enough to handle.

When you take the beef out of the oven, turn the temperature up to 150°C/Gas Mark 2.

Meanwhile, mix the water, butter, sugar, salt and star anise together in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the
carrots, turn the heat down to low
and simmer, uncovered, for 45–50 minutes until they are soft and the butter has glazed them.

While the carrots are cooking, make the bone marrow bread pudding. Remove the marrow from the salted water and transfer it to a food processor with the butter. Blend together to
make bone-marrow butter. Use this to butter the slices of bread, then season the bread slices with salt and pepper and grate over the nutmeg. Leave the bread to one side.

Whisk the eggs and milk together. Grease a 20 x 10cm ovenproof dish with a little butter and arrange half the bread slices in the dish. Sprinkle with parsley and pour over half
the egg mix. Do the same again, then leave to one side for 10–15 minutes while the bread pudding absorbs some of the custard. Place the dish in the oven and bake the bread pudding for
25–30 minutes until it is set and golden brown on top.

Remove the Jacob’s ladders from the cooking liquid and leave to one side, covered with kitchen foil to keep the meat warm. Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and boil
until it reduces to a sauce consistency. Season.

To serve, divide the pieces of beef between 6 bowls and add a whole carrot to each. Pour over some beef sauce and serve with the bread pudding.

Tom’s Tip

If you don’t use all the bone-marrow butter it freezes well to use another time.

Jacob’s ladder and braised carrots with bone-marrow bread pudding

This is a real mix of the best of British cooking. Curry is a great underlying taste that goes well with pearl barley and slowly braised lamb necks. I suppose this is my version
of a dahl, just using barley instead of lentils. There is a proper mix of spice, acid and savoury in this dish, and cooking the lamb on the bone helps to add more flavour and keep the lamb
moist.

Serves 4

For the cucumber raita

Soak the pearl parley in cold water to cover for 4–6 hours. Drain the barley and transfer it to a saucepan with more cold water to cover and bring to the boil. Drain again,
then leave to cool completely and leave in the fridge until needed.

Heat about 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil in a large flameproof casserole over a high heat. Add the lamb neck pieces and sear them for about 5 minutes until they are dark and
caramelised all over. Remove the lamb necks from the pot and use kitchen paper to wipe the pot out.

Heat 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil in the pot over a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and onion and fry, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until soften. Add the curry powder and
cracked black pepper and fry for a further 1–2 minutes, stirring. Watch carefully that the curry powder doesn’t burn.

Add the stock and bring to the boil. Return the lamb necks to the pot and turn the heat down to low. Add the dried chilli and the curry leaves and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
Alternatively, place the covered casserole in a preheated 130°C/Gas Mark ½ oven for 1 hour.

After one hour, add the swede and turnip. Re-cover the pot and return it to the heat or oven for a further 30 minutes. Stir in the blanched pearl barley and simmer, uncovered,
for a further 35–40 minutes until the lamb is flaking from the bone and the barley is tender. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Season.

Meanwhile, make the cucumber raita. Mix the cucumber with the sea salt flakes and leave for 20 minutes. Wash the salt off the cucumber and pat it dry on a tea towel. Combine the sugar, white wine vinegar and turmeric together in a non-metallic bowl. Stir in the yogurt,
mint and cucumber and mix together. Cover and chill until needed.

Reheat the curried lamb and pearl barley and serve with the cucumber raita on the side.

Lamb breast is one of the most underused, but tastiest cuts of meat around. You do have to work with it to get the most out of it, but it is so worth doing. There is a high
fat-to-meat ratio, just like with a pork belly, that helps keep flavour and moisture during slow cooking. There is a lot of North African influence in this dish and it is really suited to a warm
summer day.

Serves 6

For the cracked wheat and merguez sausages