Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food (11 page)

After the dough has rested, lightly flour the surface and divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into an oval shape about ½cm thick. Heat a large
non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add as many flat breads as will fit and dry-fry for 2–3 minutes
on each side until lightly toasted and crisp. Transfer the breads
to a low oven to keep warm until they are all cooked and until you are ready to serve.

Just before you’re ready to serve, heat the olive oil in the pan over a high heat and throw in the braised pig’s cheeks. Use 2 forks to shred the meat and cook,
stirring, for 8–10 minutes until crispy. Season and sprinkle with the chopped green chilli.

Spread the flat breads with taramasalata, and then add the crispy pigs’ cheeks and then the shallot rings. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and serve.

Tom’s Tip

Don’t throw away the liquid the pig’s cheeks are braised in – it’s packed with flavour. Leave it to cool completely, then strain and chill or freeze until
you want to add it to soups, stews and gravies.

Crispy pig’s cheeks and deep-fried shallots with taramasalata and flat breads

This is a version of risotto made with pearl barley rather than short-grained rice. Smoked chicken is so underused, but I like to include it in stocks, risottos and stews to give
a rich smokiness. The powerful kick of wild garlic goes so well with chicken, so add a little more if you want a stronger flavour.

Serves 4–6

Remove all the meat from the smoked chicken carcass so you have about 350g, then flake it and leave to one side. Put the bones and skin in a saucepan, add the chicken stock and
bring to the boil, skimming the surface, as necessary. Reduce the heat to very low and leave to simmer for 15–20 minutes.

Melt 25g of the butter with the oil in another large saucepan over a low heat. Add the onion and fry, stirring, for at least 5 minutes until softened, but not coloured.

Stir in the pearl barley and continue cooking for 3–4 minutes until it is toasted. Pass about one-quarter of the hot chicken stock through a strainer on to the barley and
continue stirring until the liquid has been absorbed. Repeat this process until all the barley is tender and most, if not all, of the stock has been absorbed. This should take about 40 minutes.

Stir in the smoked chicken, Parmesan cheese and the remaining butter. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the barley to rest for 2–3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and
season. Stir in the wild garlic leaves and chives. If the mix needs loosening a little, just use any remaining stock or hot water. Serve immediately.

I think of these individual custards as cheese and ham quiches without the pastry. This is a super-rich first course, so the custards don’t need to be very big.

The different layers of flavours here are from the same two main ingredients, ham and cheese, but the contrast in textures makes a complex overall dish.

Makes 6

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Put the double cream and thyme in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to one side to cool
a little.

Meanwhile, put the brown bread cubes in a roasting tray, drizzle with about 3 tablespoons rapeseed oil and place in the oven for about 5 minutes until crispy. Remove the
croûtons from the oven, season and leave to one side. Turn the oven temperature down to 130°C/Gas Mark ½.

Heat 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the cooked ham and fry, stirring, for 3–4 minutes until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and leave to
one side until needed.

Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, smoked paprika and cayenne together in a bowl. Return the cream to the boil, then pass it through a strainer on to the eggs, whisking. Add the
Gruyère cheese and grate in the nutmeg

Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Divide the crispy cooked ham between six 150ml ramekins. Ladle the custard into each ramekin. Place the ramekins in a roasting tray and pour
in enough boiling water to come half way up their sides. Place the tray in the oven and bake the custards for 15–20 minutes until they are just set. Remove the ramekins from the tray and
sprinkle over the Parmesan cheese and chives while the custards are still warm.

Preheat the grill to high. Place the Parma ham on the grill rack and grill for 2–3 minutes until crispy. Drain on kitchen paper, then break into small pieces and serve on
top of the custards with the brown bread croûtons. Serve immediately.

This is a super-quick and light first course or lunchtime dish that uses up any leftover broccoli stalks. Personally, I prefer the stalks to the florets, as they have a better
flavour and such a good texture.

Like with most cooking, the better the produce that you buy, the better it will taste. Get good ham....

Serves 4

Heat about 5cm vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or heavy-based saucepan until it reaches 180°C. Add the capers and fry, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until they are
crispy and browned. Remove them with a slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen paper. Season and leave to one side.

Cut the broccoli stalks lengthways into quarters and trim any woody bits. Melt the butter with the water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the broccoli stalks and salt and
leave to simmer, uncovered, until the stalks are tender and coated in a nice butter glaze. Remove the stalks from the pan and keep hot.

Add the ham slices to the buttery glaze and warm through for about 1 minute on each side. Add extra water to the pan, if necessary.

Remove the ham from the glaze and place on 4 plates. Arrange the broccoli stalks on top. Stir the parsley into the glaze, then pour over the ham and broccoli stalks. Sprinkle
over the capers, season with cracked black pepper and serve immediately.

Warm buttered ham, English broccoli stalks and fried capers

I’m from the West Country, and this is my tribute to the region – it’s a savoury ‘cream tea’, from the great town of Gloucester. This makes a great
breakfast, too!

Makes 8 scones

For the sage butter

For the double Gloucester cheese scones

First, make the sage butter. Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Add sage leaves, shallots, salt and cayenne pepper and mix together. Shape into a log about 2½cm thick and
wrap tightly in greaseproof paper or clingfilm. Chill for at least an hour or up to a week, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

To make the scones, preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7. Mix the flour and the salt together in a large bowl, then rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Add 50g of the cheese, then add the milk and mix to form a soft dough.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it is about 2cm thick. Use a floured 5cm round cutter to cut out 8 scones, re-rolling the trimmings as necessary, but try to
handle the dough as little as possible.

Place the scones on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with a little milk and sprinkle them with the remaining grated cheese. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the scones
for 12–15 minutes until they are risen and golden brown. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill to high. Place the bacon on the grill rack and grill for 3–5 minutes until cooked through and as tender or crisp as you like.

Cut the scones in half and toast them under the grill. Spread with the sage butter, add the bacon and serve.

Double Gloucester cheese scones and Old Spot bacon with sage butter

Toasted mustard seeds give a slightly different texture to this classic combination, and the addition of tarragon gives a herbal lift to the richness of the meat and jelly. These
will keep for two to three days in the fridge, and are also great to pack for picnics, if that’s your thing.

Makes 4

Place the ham hock in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil, then drain. Repeat this process 2 more times to remove any impurities.

Return the ham hock to the pan. Add the white peppercorns, bay leaves, celery, carrot, onion, white wine vinegar and water to cover and bring to the boil Reduce the heat to very
low and leave to simmer, uncovered, for 2½–3 hours until the ham is tender. Remove the ham from the stock and leave it to one side to cool.