Tom Kerridge's Proper Pub Food (2 page)

Serves 4

For the buckwheat blinis

To make the blinis, mix the white flour, buckwheat flour, sugar and yeast together in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Warm the milk in a saucepan on the hob
until it is blood heat. Make sure it is not too hot or it will kill the yeast. Pour the milk and egg yolk into the flour mix and whisk together to form a thick paste.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then fold them into the batter mix. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 30 minutes
until frothy.

Meanwhile, place all the fruit in a bowl. Add the demerara sugar and mix together. The sugar will start to break down the fruit.

When the blini batter is frothy, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Drop small spoonfuls of the blini mix into the pan and fry
for 3–4 minutes on each side until bubbly and golden brown. Continue making blinis until all the batter is used. You should get about 20. Keep the cooked blinis warm in a low oven while you
cook the rest of the batter.

Mix the mint into the fruit. Place the fruit on top of the warm blinis, dust with a little icing sugar and serve with the Greek yogurt and runny honey on the side for people to
help themselves.

This is one of the first dishes that I ever cooked, albeit from a can! Everyone loves baked beans and my homemade version is really worth the effort. These will keep for three or
four days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. They are also very good as part of a Full English Breakfast, or you could add curry powder when frying the onion to make curried beans.

This soda bread has been served at The Hand & Flowers throughout both Michelin star awards, so I call it the Michelin starred bread. The joy of this soda bread recipe is that
it is so easy to make. It’s not proven bread, so it won’t sound hollow on the bottom if you tap, but you’ll know when to take it out of the oven because it will be golden brown
and smell fantastic.

Serves 4–6

For the soda bread

To begin the baked beans, cover the white beans in cold water and soak overnight.

Meanwhile, make the soda bread. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Put both flours, the butter, bicarbonate of soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the
buttermilk and use your hands to mix all the ingredients together until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a greased baking sheet, pat into a loaf and dust with a little extra flour. Put the
baking sheet in the oven and bake the bread for 45–50 minutes until it is wonderfully golden. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

After the beans have soaked overnight, drain them and put them in a large saucepan. Cover them with water and bring to the boil. Drain the beans again and return to the pan.
Cover with fresh water and return to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour until the beans are just tender. Top up with extra boiling water, if needed. Drain
the beans and set aside.

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry, stirring, for about 5 minutes until it is crispy and the lovely bacon fat and flavour is in
the pan. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and continue stirring for 3–5 minutes until the onion is softened.

Add the canned tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, vinegar and water and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the beans, reduce the heat to very low and leave
to simmer, uncovered, for 1½–2 hours until the sauce is thick and the beans are soft. Season.

When ready to serve, preheat the grill to high. Slice the soda bread and toast until crisp and golden brown. Spread the toast with butter and serve with the baked beans.

Proper baked beans on soda bread toast

The sweetness of the sweetcorn goes so well with the strong, salted kick from the bacon in this recipe. It really is worth buying the best bacon for this dish, as it does make the
difference between a good and a great breakfast.

Serves 4

Preheat the grill to high.

Put half the sweetcorn kernels in a food processor and process until broken down. Add the flour and baking powder and process again. Add the milk and egg yolks to the blended
sweetcorn mix and blend until incorporated. Transfer this batter to a bowl and stir in the remaining sweetcorn. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold them into
the sweetcorn mix. Season.

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a low heat. Add spoonfuls of the batter and fry for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown and small bubbles
appear on the surface. You can make the pancakes whatever size you want, but you want at least 4. Beware, however, the mix will spread a little as it cooks. Cook the batter in batches if you need
to and keep the cooked pancakes warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, grill the bacon under a hot grill until crispy. Reserve any bacon fat that comes from the grill and brush the pancakes with it. Serve the pancakes and bacon
immediately with maple syrup drizzled over.

Tom’s Tip

These pancakes also work well with white poultry, such as chicken and poussin, or partridge. Serve them with Rye Bread Sauce (see
here
) and a lovely iron-rich
green vegetable, such as spinach.

Sweetcorn pancakes, dry-cured bacon and maple syrup

Try this dish for a proper, hearty start to the day. It’s packed with flavours that go very well together. If you fancy – and live life on the edge a little – a
wee dram of whisky tastes delicious with this! The porridge is also good served with fresh fruit, rather than the salmon.

Serves 4

Preheat the oven 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Put the oats on a roasting tray and toast, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes until dark brown, but not burnt. This can be done
several days in advance.

Place 200g of the oats, the milk, brown sugar and a pinch of salt in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for
5–6 minutes until the porridge is creamy.

Heat a dry non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add the salmon fillets and fry for 5–8 minutes until they are crispy on the edges. It is OK if the fillets break up a
little.

Stir the butter, dill and lemon zest into the porridge. Taste and season if you think it needs some. Spoon the porridge into bowls, place the fried salmon on top, sprinkle with
the remaining untoasted oats and serve.

Sometimes the simple things are the best. If you have a couple of great ingredients and treat them with love and respect they will love you back! Try it....

Serves 4

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Tear the stale bread into small croûton-like chunks, place in a roasting tray and drizzle with oil. Place the tray in the oven and toast the bread for 8–10 minutes
until golden brown. Season the croûtons with salt as soon as you take the tray out of the oven so it is absorbed, then leave them to one side.

Bring the water and butter to the boil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the ham and simmer for a couple of minutes until it is warmed
through.

Remove the ham and put it on warm plates. Add the parsley to the liquid in the pan and season, if needed, but the liquid might be quite salty from the ham, depending on the cure,
so taste before you add any. Spoon the parsley over the ham and sprinkle with the capers. Add the crusty croûtons and then grate the cheese over the top and serve.

Brown sauce was the staple of my childhood and is by far the best thing ever with a Full English Breakfast. It is the flavour of the day in cafés up and down the country,
added to the bacon rolls, sausage baps and hash browns. It is the taste of the Great British working public, the builders, plumbers, van drivers and, of course, chefs!

This is my version, served with sautéed potatoes and a spicy black pudding, but you could serve it with anything. This dish also works well with a poached egg and a little
cracked black pepper. You could make your own black pudding, but the best black pudding for me is either from Laverstoke Park Farm, in Hampshire, or Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis. Both are
delicious.

Serves 4