Pub Kitchen – Tom Kerridge

“British pub food has come so far over the past decade and it’s been really exciting to see. In celebration, I’ve taken the most popular items on the menus in brilliant modern British pubs and given them a few fresh twists. This is food for everyone – it’s the food I’m excited about, it’s the food I like to cook at home, and I hope you enjoy it too.”

Roasted Poussin with Marsala & Sage Sauce

Serves 2

“I love poussins, not least because everyone gets their own little bird. Marsala (a wine fortified with brandy) adds a sweet, nutty note to the creamy sauce and gives the dish a rich, wintry flavour. The crispy sage garnish is a lovely finishing touch.”

You will need

• 2 poussins
• 30g butter, softened
• 4 sage leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Marsala sauce

• 30g butter
• 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 150ml Marsala
• 200ml chicken stock
• 8 sage leaves, finely chopped
• 200ml double cream

Garnish

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• A handful of sage leaves

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c/180c fan /gas 6.
Place the poussins in individual oven dishes. Mix the softened butter with the chopped sage and season with salt and pepper. Rub the sage butter all over the poussins. Roast on the middle shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the skin is golden and crisp and the poussins are cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the butter in a sauté pan until melted and foaming, then add the shallots and garlic, stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften. Add the Marsala and simmer until it is reduced by half. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer until the liquor is reduced by half again. Add the chopped sage, stir in the cream and simmer until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the poussins from the oven and set aside to rest in a warm place for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is melted and foaming, add the sage leaves and cook until crispy. Remove from the heat.

Transfer the poussins to warmed shallow serving bowls, spoon the Marsala sauce around them and scatter over the crispy sage leaves. Serve with some cavolo nero or other leafy green vegetable on the side.

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Sticky Date and Banana Puddings

“Thiis naughty, boozy pud is one of our pub classics. Sticky, caramelised bananas shine alongside a sweet date pudding, and the easy-to-make toffee sauce served alongside takes it to another level of indulgence.”

You will need

• 1 tbsp softened butter to grease the dishes
• 100g plain white flour, plus 1tbsp to dust
• 100ml dark rum
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g pitted dates, chopped
• 85g vegetable suet
• 85g soft dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large free-range eggs

Toffee sauce

• 200ml double cream
• 100g soft dark brown sugar
• 75g butter
• A small pinch of salt

To finish

• 2 small bananas
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

Brush 4 individual ovenproof dishes (250ml capacity) with the softened butter and dust lightly with  our, shaking out any excess.

Pour the rum and 100ml water into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then take off the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda and dates. Pop a lid on the pan and leave to standn for 10-15 minutes to allow the dates to soak up the liquid and cool down.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Tip the dates and liquid into a large bowl and add the flour, suet, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. Beat until evenly combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dishes and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Meanwhile, to make the toffee sauce, pour the cream into a saucepan and add the brown sugar, butter and salt. Place over a low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Peel and thinly slice the bananas. Once you’ve removed the puddings from the oven, arrange the banana slices, overlapping, around the edge of each dish. Sprinkle the banana slices liberally with demerara sugar and run a cook’s blowtorch over them to caramelise the sugar.

Serve the date and banana puddings with the toffee sauce in a jug on the side.

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