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.
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
Welsh mutton broth
Hodge podge soup
Cock-a-leekie soup
SERVES 6–8
1 chicken, about 1.5kg, jointed
sea salt and black pepper
1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, few thyme and parsley sprigs, tied together)
1.5–2 litres chicken stock (see page 243), or water
5 large leeks, about 500g in total, trimmed
200g cooked rice
200g soft pitted prunes
This winter warmer is traditionally served as a starter at Scottish holiday feasts, including Hogmanay and Burn’s Night. As the name suggests, chicken and leeks are the key ingredients, along with prunes. We like the mild sweetness these add to the light and savoury broth, but you can leave them out if you prefer.
Rub the chicken joints with salt and pepper and place in a large cooking pot with the bouquet garni and stock. If the stock doesn’t quite cover the chicken, top up with cold water. Add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a simmer. Skim off any froth or scum that rises to the surface. Turn the heat to the lowest setting, partially cover the pan and simmer gently for 30 minutes; the surface of the liquid should barely move.
In the meantime, slice the leeks on the diagonal into 1–2cm wide pieces. Add them to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender throughout.
Lift the chicken out of the stock and leave until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, add the rice and prunes to the stock and simmer for another 15–20 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni.
Shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones, then return to the stock to warm through. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Ladle the soup into warm soup plates to serve.
Chilled minted pea soup
SERVES 4
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
sea salt and black pepper
500g frozen peas, thawed
about 600ml hot chicken stock (see page 243)
small bunch of mint, leaves only
Effortless to prepare, this vibrant soup makes a refreshing summer starter. If