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.
Potted duck
SERVES 4–6
2 duck legs, about 300g each
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
few thyme sprigs
sea salt and black pepper
300g duck fat, melted
60g pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
TO SERVE
plenty of sourdough bread slices, freshly toasted
pickled onions and cornichons
Pistachios help to cut the richness of this tasty spread, as do the accompanying pickled onions and cornichons.
Preheat the oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Put the duck legs, skin side up, into a roasting tin in which they fit snugly and scatter over the garlic, thyme and seasoning. Pour over the duck fat to cover. Roast for 2–2 1/2 hours until the meat is very tender and falls off the bone. Cool slightly, then lift the duck legs onto a plate, reserving the fat. Shred or finely chop the meat, discarding the skin. Place the meat in a bowl. Strain the fat through a fine sieve; set aside.
Add the pistachios to the duck and toss to mix, moistening with a little duck fat and seasoning generously to taste. Divide the mixture among 4–6 small jars or ramekins. Press down with the back of a spoon and pour over a thin layer of duck fat to cover. Chill until set.
Take the potted duck out of the fridge 30–40 minutes before serving to soften it slightly, so it can be spread. Serve with warm toast, pickled onions and cornichons.
Potted crab
SERVES 4–6
150g unsalted butter, cubed
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 tsp ground mace
1/3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 anchovy fillet in oil, finely crushed to a paste
3 tbsp sherry
375g white crabmeat
75g brown crabmeat
sea salt and black pepper
2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste
TO SERVE
plenty of brown or Granary bread slices, freshly toasted
This is a lovely way to serve crab, as you can really savour the flavour with every mouthful.
Melt 100g of the butter in a heavy-based saucepan, add the shallots and sweat over a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until they are soft but not browned. Stir in the spices, then the anchovy paste and sherry. Cook for a few more minutes until the alcohol from the sherry has evaporated.
Add the white and brown crabmeat to the spicy butter and stir to combine. Season well with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir over a low heat until the crabmeat is warmed through, then immediately take off the heat.
Divide the mixture between 4–6 small ramekins and press down lightly to level the tops. Melt the remaining 50g butter in the same pan and spoon a thin layer over the crabmeat to cover. Cool and chill until set.
Take the ramekins out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to allow the butter to soften. Serve with lots of warm toast.
Potted shrimps with toast
SERVES 6
150g unsalted butter, cubed
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
50ml medium dry sherry
1/3 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/3 tsp ground mace
1/3 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra to finish
570ml pot Morecambe