Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food

Using vine-ripened cherry tomatoes and the freshest of sardines, this is an elegant, grown-up version of tinned sardines in tomato sauce on toast – a family favourite when we were kids.

Check the sardine fillets for any pin-bones and remove with tweezers. (Tiny bones are fine to eat and can be left in.) Pat dry with kitchen paper and chill until ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

Lay the tomatoes on a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Scatter over the thyme, garlic and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Roast for 8–10 minutes until the skins have burst and the flesh is soft.

Shortly before the tomatoes will be ready, season the sardines and lay them, skin side up, on a lightly oiled baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 3–4 minutes until they feel just firm when lightly pressed.

Meanwhile, toast the bread. Put a slice of toast on each warm plate and lay the roasted tomatoes on top. Arrange the sardine fillets over the tomatoes, sprinkle with a little salt and serve immediately.

Roasted bone marrow with caper and herb dressing

SERVES 4

12 short pieces of veal marrowbones (or 8 longer lengths)

sea salt and black pepper

CAPER AND HERB DRESSING

large handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

few oregano sprigs, leaves only

2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tsp capers, rinsed and drained

2 tsp Dijon or English mustard

1 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

few dashes of Tabasco sauce (optional)

TO SERVE

about 8 slices of sourdough bread

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Bone marrow has recently regained popularity, largely due to the efforts of chefs like Fergus Henderson, who often serves it at his restaurant, St. John’s, in London. Our version pairs rich marrow with a punchy caper and herb dressing. If you’re feeling indulgent, serve the buttery marrow on brioche toasts instead of sourdough.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Lightly season both ends of the marrowbones with salt and pepper and place in a roasting tin. Roast for about 20 minutes until the marrow is soft and will come away from the bone when you prod it lightly. Take care not to over-roast or the marrow will melt into an oily mass.

To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a rough paste. Check the seasoning, then spoon into small individual serving bowls.

When the marrowbones are almost ready, toast the bread. Stand the marrowbones upright on warm serving plates with the toasted sourdough, lemon wedges and bowls of caper and herb dressing on the side.

Welsh rabbit

SERVES 4–6

30g butter

30g plain flour

150ml hot milk

55g mature cheddar, grated

50ml Guinness

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Dijon or English mustard

sea salt and black pepper

2 large egg yolks

4–6 thick slices of white bread

For this classic savoury, we use farmhouse cheese, stout and the ultimate British condiment, Worcestershire sauce.

Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. Gradually stir in the milk, keeping the mixture smooth, then add the cheese and stir until melted. Take off the heat. Stir in the Guinness, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and seasoning to taste. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, then mix in the egg yolks.

Heat the grill to its highest setting. Toast the bread on both sides, then spread a layer of cheese mixture on top and grill for a few minutes until the topping is bubbling and golden brown. Serve at once.

SOUPS AND BROTHS (#ulink_aa836c4c-3608-5fdd-8c53-e564dbbfb2fc)

Cock-a-leekie soup

Chilled minted pea soup

White onion and cheddar soup

Roasted tomato and marrow soup

London particular

Fennel and roasted red pepper soup

Mulligatawny

Cullen skink

Potato, bacon and oyster soup