Pint of prawns with mayo
Oysters with shallot vinegar
Devilled whitebait
Scotch eggs
Spiced nuts
Homemade pork scratchings
Angels and devils on horseback
Pan haggerty
Old-fashioned pork pies
Homemade crisps
Pickled quail’s eggs
Wild boar sausage rolls
Pint of prawns with mayo
SERVES 4
1-1.2kg cooked Atlantic prawns in shells
MAYONNAISE
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp English mustard
sea salt and black pepper
300ml groundnut oil (or light olive oil)
1 tbsp water
Walk into any pub and you are quite likely to find a pint of prawns with mayo on the bar menu. These tasty morsels from the Atlantic are perfect finger food to savour with a pint of light ale or a glass of dry white wine. As you peel off the shells from the prawns, suck the heads so you don’t miss out on their amazing flavour.
To make the mayonnaise, put the egg yolks, wine vinegar, mustard and some salt and pepper into a blender or small food processor and whiz until the mixture is very thick and creamy. With the motor running, slowly trickle in the oil through the funnel in a steady stream. Add 1 tbsp water to help stabilize the emulsion, then taste and adjust the seasoning. (If the mayonnaise splits, transfer it to a bowl and start again. Whiz another egg yolk in the blender or processor until thick and then slowly blend in the split mixture; it should re-emulsify.)
Spoon the mayonnaise into individual dipping bowls and divide the prawns between four pint glasses. You might also want to put out an empty bowl for the shells. Any extra mayonnaise can be kept in a covered bowl in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Oysters with shallot vinegar
SERVES 4
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
120ml good-quality red wine vinegar (we use Cabernet Sauvignon)
12-16 very fresh native oysters
TO SERVE
rock salt
fresh seaweed (optional), to garnish
Sharing a platter of fresh oysters at the bar is a real treat. In London, our native oysters usually hail from Colchester or Whitstable, but they are gathered in various places around the British coast. Freshness is absolutely vital, so it helps to know your nearest source. Spanking fresh oysters taste of the sea.
Mix the shallots and wine vinegar together in a small bowl and leave to infuse for at least an hour. Spread a thick layer of rock salt on one or two serving platters and scatter over the seaweed, if available.
Shuck the oysters as you are about to serve them. To do so, hold an oyster, flat side upwards and level, in a folded tea towel in one hand. With the other hand, insert an oyster knife into the hinge of the oyster shell and wriggle it from side to side to cut through the hinge muscle. Push the knife further in and twist up to lift the top shell. Try not to tip out the juices as you do this. Hold the knife flat and slide it along the bottom shell to release the oyster, then flick off any pieces of broken shell. Place the oyster in its bottom shell on a serving plate. Repeat to shuck the rest. Serve immediately, with the shallot vinegar.
Devilled whitebait
SERVES 4-6
450g whitebait, thawed if frozen
170g plain flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper
150ml milk
groundnut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
TO SERVE
extra cayenne pepper, to sprinkle (optional)
mayonnaise (see page 246), for dipping
lemon wedges
These are a far cry from the soggy, overcooked whitebait we used to eat as kids whenever we were treated to a meal in a steakhouse. Freshly fried, these crisp, salty bites are lovely with a pint of ale. If using frozen whitebait, you may want to go easy on the extra salt as the tiny fish are usually soaked in brine before freezing.
Wash the whitebait, drain well and pat dry with kitchen paper. For the batter, in a bowl, mix 100g of the flour with the cayenne pepper and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Make a well in the middle and gradually whisk in the milk to make a smooth batter.
Heat an 8-10cm depth of oil in a deep-fryer or a heavy-based pan; the pan should be no more than half-full. The oil is ready when it reaches 190°C, or when a cube of bread dropped in turns golden brown in less than 40 seconds.
Deep-fry the whitebait in batches. Dip a handful into the remaining flour to coat, shaking off excess. Now dip the floured whitebait into the batter, then gently drop into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes until golden and crisp. When you take them out of the oil, the whitebait should rustle as you shake them together. Try not to overcrowd the pan, as this will cause the temperature of the oil to drop too much.
Drain the whitebait on a tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven while you deep-fry the rest. If you wish, sprinkle on a little extra cayenne pepper. Serve while still crisp, with a bowl of mayonnaise and lemon wedges on the side.
Scotch eggs
MAKES 8
8 medium eggs, at room temperature
650g good-quality sausagemeat or 8-10 butcher’s sausages, removed from their skins
handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
4 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp English mustard powder
grated zest of 1 lemon
sea salt and black pepper
TO ASSEMBLE
50g plain flour, sifted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten, for dipping
150g fine white breadcrumbs (made from one- or two-day old bread)
groundnut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
TO