Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food

Meanwhile, toast the bread slices. Spread them generously with the anchovy butter and place on warm serving plates. Add the capers to the scrambled eggs, then quickly spoon on top of the toasts. Garnish each serving with two crossed anchovies and serve.

Creamed haddock and pickled walnuts on toast

SERVES 4

450g smoked haddock fillets

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large leek, white part only, trimmed and finely chopped

300ml double cream black pepper

4 slices of thick country bread

3-4 pickled walnuts, drained and finely sliced

Enriching smoked haddock with cream gives the fish a lovely silky texture for this savoury base. Pickled walnuts add a sweet tang that cuts through the richness perfectly.

Bring a wide, shallow pan of water to a simmer and add the haddock fillets, skin side down. Poach gently for 3–4 minutes until the flesh is just cooked and flakes easily. Using a fish slice, carefully transfer the fish to a plate and leave to cool for a few minutes. While still warm, flake the fish, discarding the skin and removing any pin-bones.

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the leek and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until soft. Pour in the cream and simmer until it has reduced slightly and thickened. Fold through the flaked fish. Add a generous grinding of black pepper and taste for seasoning. (You probably won’t need to add salt, as smoked haddock is usually quite salty.) Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Toast the bread slices and place on warm plates. Pile the smoked haddock mixture generously onto the toasts and arrange the pickled walnut slices on top. Serve at once.

Anchovies on toast with poached egg and spinach

SERVES 4

4 large eggs

few drops of white wine or cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

300g spinach leaves, washed and dried

sea salt and black pepper nutmeg, to grate

4 slices of brown soda bread

12 anchovy fillets in oil, halved if large

This simple but delicious combination of salty anchovies, creamy poached eggs and earthy spinach atop crunchy toast makes a fantastic weekend brunch.

First, poach the eggs in advance. Bring a pan of water to a simmer. Add a few drops of vinegar and swirl with a slotted spoon to create a whirlpool effect. Cook the eggs two at a time: crack one into a small bowl and gently slide into the centre of the whirlpool; repeat with another egg. Poach for about 3 minutes until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny in the middle. Remove each egg with a slotted spoon and slide into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Repeat to cook the other eggs.

When you are ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a wide pan. When hot, add the spinach leaves and stir over a high heat until the spinach has just wilted. Remove from the heat and season well with salt, pepper and a grating of nutmeg. Meanwhile, toast the bread slices and reheat the eggs in a pan of gently simmering water for a minute.

Place the toasts on warm serving plates and pile the wilted spinach on top. Drape the anchovies over the spinach. One at a time, remove the poached eggs from the pan with a slotted spoon. Dab the bottom of the spoon with kitchen paper to soak up any water, then place the egg on top of the anchovies. Grind over a little black pepper and serve at once.

St. George’s mushrooms on toast

SERVES 4

250g St. George’s mushrooms, cleaned 40g butter

sea salt and black pepper

squeeze of lemon juice

few oregano sprigs, leaves only, chopped

small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

4 slices of brown or Granary bread

Even though it is not so well known among fungi, the St. George’s mushroom can take pride of place amongst the finest wild mushrooms, as its firm, meaty texture and distinctive woody flavour are hard to beat. This recipe also works well with portobello or chestnut mushrooms.

Slice the mushrooms thinly. Melt the butter in a wide frying pan and, as soon as it begins to foam, tip in the mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and fry, stirring occasionally, over a high heat for a few minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and fry the mushrooms until lightly browned and any moisture has cooked off. Season well and toss in the herbs.

Meanwhile, toast the bread. Divide the mushrooms between the hot toasts and serve at once.

Soft herring roes on toast

SERVES 4

450g herring roes

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

75g butter, in pieces

4 slices of white or brown bread

handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

squeeze of lemon juice lemon wedges, to serve

For those who have yet to try herring roes, they have a surprising creaminess and delicious taste that is further enhanced with a little nutty butter and lemon juice. Pile them on freshly toasted crusty bread for a great balance of flavours and textures.

Rinse the herring roes and pat dry on kitchen paper. Heat a large frying pan and add the olive oil. Season the roes with salt and pepper and fry in the hot pan for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Add the butter and allow to melt. Spoon the foaming butter over the roes as they cook for another minute or so, to encourage them to brown. Meanwhile, toast the bread.

Remove the herring roes from the heat, add the chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice and toss through quickly. Check the seasoning.

Put a slice of toast on each warm plate and top with the herring roes, spooning over any buttery pan juices. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges on the side.