Gordon Ramsay's Great British Pub Food by Gordon Ramsay Read Free Book Online Page A

opaque and firm; do not overcook or they will turn rubbery. Drain and refresh in a bowl of iced water, then drain in a colander and set aside.
    For the cocktail sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning with salt and white pepper to taste.
    Spoon some cocktail sauce into each of four individual serving glasses. Scatter a little shredded lettuce over the sauce and arrange a few prawns on top. Repeat these layers, finishing with a small dollop of sauce. Sprinkle with a pinch of paprika and serve.
Fried sprats with smoked paprika
SERVES 6
    800g fresh sprats
    about 200ml milk
    75g plain flour
    sea salt and black pepper
    2 tsp smoked paprika, plus a little extra to sprinkle if required
    groundnut, rapeseed or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
TO SERVE
    few handfuls of mixed salad leaves
    squeeze of lemon juice
    drizzle of olive oil
    lemon wedges
    tartare sauce (see page 119)
    Sprats, which resemble tiny herrings, do not need to be gutted or scaled. Like whitebait, you can eat them whole—they’re absolutely delicious fried. Traditionally eaten with buttered brown bread and a squeeze of lemon, we prefer to serve sprats as a starter, with tartare sauce and a few salad leaves on the side.
    Wash the sprats and drain, then place in a bowl. Pour on the milk and leave to soak for a few minutes. Season the flour with salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or other suitable deep, heavy pan to 180°C, or until a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in less than a minute.
    Deep-fry the sprats in several batches. Lift a good handful out of the milk and toss in the seasoned flour to coat, shaking off excess. Deep-fry in the hot oil for about 2 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with a little more sea salt and paprika, if you wish. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
    Lightly dress the salad leaves with a little lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning, and place a neat pile on each serving plate. Divide the sprats between the plates and serve immediately, with lemon wedges and individual bowls of tartare sauce for dipping.
Chicory, walnut and stilton salad
SERVES 4
    4 heads of chicory
    75g stilton
    60g walnuts, toasted and lightly crushed
DRESSING
    11/2 tbsp runny honey
    11/2 tbsp English mustard
    3 tbsp walnut oil
    3 tbsp olive oil
    sea salt and black pepper
    This delectable starter can be thrown together in a matter of minutes. Serve it on a large platter, making sure each chicory leaf is cradling some crumbled stilton, crushed walnuts and dressing-then you can dispense with the cutlery.
    Trim the bases of the chicory and separate the large outer leaves. (Save the tiny leaves around the core for another salad). Arrange the leaves around one large or two smaller platters. Crumble over the stilton and scatter over the crushed walnuts, distributing them evenly among the leaves.
    In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing lightly over the salad. Serve immediately as a casual starter or a canapé, with a glass of white wine.
Chicken liver pâté
SERVES 4
    500g chicken livers
    150-200ml milk
    sea salt and black pepper
    75g unsalted butter, diced
    2 large shallots, peeled and finely diced
    generous splash of brandy
    few thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
TO SEAL
    175g unsalted butter
    thyme leaves
TO SERVE
    freshly toasted bread
    red onion marmalade (see page 247)
    We call this ‘poor man’s pâté’. It may be inexpensive, but it makes an elegant starter and tastes divine, especially if you serve it with a red onion marmalade. Well sealed under a layer of clarified butter, this pâté keeps well for up to a week in the fridge.
    De-vein the chicken livers and place in a bowl. Pour on enough milk to cover and leave to soak in the fridge for 6-8 hours. Bring to room temperature 20 minutes before preparing the pâté.
    Drain and rinse the chicken livers, pat