sea salt and black pepper 2 tsp lemon juice
TO SERVE
plenty of white or brown bread slices, freshly toasted
Brown shrimps from Morecambe Bay are renowned for their nutty taste and delicate texture. They are caught and cooked straight away in seawater on the boats, to preserve their fantastic flavour. Use ordinary brown shrimps if you can’t get them.
Melt 120g 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. Add the sherry and simmer until you can no longer detect an aroma of alcohol. Tip in the spices and stir well. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat slightly, add the shrimps and stir to coat in the spicy butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a little salt and pepper, and the lemon juice. Once the shrimps are warmed through, remove the pan from the heat.
Spoon the shrimps and butter into six small ramekins and press down gently with the back of a spoon. Melt the remaining butter in the pan you cooked the shrimps in. Spoon a thin layer of clear butter over the potted shrimps to cover. Grate over a little nutmeg, then leave to cool completely. Chill until the butter has set.
Remove the potted shrimps from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, to allow the butter to soften. Serve with plenty of warm toast, and perhaps a sharply dressed watercress salad.
Potted hough
SERVES 4
900g shin of beef on the bone (ask your butcher to crack the bone)
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 leek, trimmed and cut into large chunks
1 onion, trimmed and cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves
¼–½ tsp cayenne pepper, to taste
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp black peppercorns
1 mace blade
sea salt and black pepper
handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped
TO SERVE
sourdough bread, freshly toasted, or country bread slices
piccalilli or pickled gherkins
Hough is the Scottish name for shin of beef on the bone, an inexpensive flavoursome joint with a little more fat than most other beef cuts. Here it is braised until tender, then the meat is taken off the bone, shredded and mixed with the reduced stock prior to potting. It is not essential to cover the potted meat with a layer of fat, but it is best consumed within 4–5 days.
Place the beef in a large cooking pot and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and skim off any froth or scum that rises to the surface. Continue to skim until the liquid is pretty much clear, then add the flavouring vegetables, bay leaves, spices and seasoning. Partially cover the pan and simmer very gently over a very low heat for 4–4 1/2 hours until the beef is meltingly tender, skimming off any scum from time to time.
When the beef is ready, remove the pan from the heat and allow the beef to cool in the liquor. When cool enough to handle, lift out the beef and shred the meat from the bone. Put into a large bowl, cover and set aside.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve into another pan. Boil steadily for 15–20 minutes or until reduced by three-quarters, to about 250–300ml. Season the reduced stock generously to taste, then pour over the shredded meat to bind. Taste and adjust the seasoning once again, and mix in the chopped parsley. Divide between four small ramekins, packing the meat in well. Cool completely, then chill until set.
Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving. To unmould, dip a ramekin in a bowl of hot water for a few seconds, then invert and tip out onto a plate. Serve with warm sourdough toasts or rustic country bread and piccalilli or pickled gherkins on the side.
Devilled kidneys on toast
SERVES 4
8 lamb kidneys, rinsed few knobs of butter sea salt and black pepper
DEVIL SAUCE
375ml medium dry sherry
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tbsp dry English mustard
TO SERVE
4 thick slices of country bread
handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped (optional)
Lamb’s kidneys have a fairly strong and distinctive taste, which can take a slightly spicy, sweet and sour devil sauce. This savoury is equally suitable for a weekend brunch or a fast, light supper.
First, prepare the devil sauce. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan, add some salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Let bubble for about 15–20 minutes until reduced right down to a syrupy sauce that is thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Meanwhile, to prepare the kidneys, cut them in half lengthways and carefully remove the white sinewy cores with the tip of a small knife.
When you are ready to serve, heat a frying pan and add the butter. Season the kidneys with salt and pepper and add to the butter as it starts to sizzle. Fry for 2 minutes until browned, then turn the kidneys over and cook the other side for a minute. Add the sauce and spoon it over the kidneys to baste them as they cook for another minute. Meanwhile, toast the bread.
Place a slice of warm toast on each warm plate and top with the devilled kidneys. Spoon over any remaining sauce from the pan and serve at once, sprinkled with some chopped parsley if you like.
Sardines and tomatoes on toast
SERVES 4
6 small, very fresh sardines, filleted
500g cherry tomatoes on the vine
olive oil, to drizzle
few thyme sprigs, leaves stripped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
sea salt and black pepper
8 thick slices of Granary or sourdough bread, to serve
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