Tom Kerridge’s ultimate celebration menu
Contributing editor Tom Kerridge plans the perfect menu for Good Food’s 30th anniversary. Try his vegetable salad, beef ragout and bread & butter pudding.
A very happy birthday BBC Good Food! I’m immensely proud to be part of everything you guys do. Just like Good Food, I’ve also been cooking for about 30 years. These have been some of the most exciting times we’ve ever seen in British cooking – it’s been nothing short of a food revolution. That said, some dishes are timeless classics and have stayed with me over my career, and these are the dishes I’ve chosen to celebrate this milestone. So cheers, and here’s to another 30 years of cooking for all of us!
Chicken liver parfait
Some sort of liver parfait has been on the menu at every place I’ve worked at and has been a staple at The Hand and Flowers since day one. How I make it has changed massively over the years as things have gotten more technical in the professional kitchen, but I’ve gone back to my roots with this chicken liver parfait, which will still give you a perfectly smooth parfait without all the gadgets we use today.
Autumn vegetable salad with saffron dressing
I learned to make this autumn vegetable salad with saffron dressing at one of the first Michelin-starred kitchens I worked in – but there, each and every ingredient was laboriously chopped into perfect, same-sized pieces.
Beef ragout & hand-cut pappardelle
Bolognese, for me, is a true part of growing up. Although this beef ragout is a bit more ‘me of today’, the essence still makes me think of my mum’s after-school meals. Marco Pierre White’s cookbook White Heat had a huge influence on my early career and was the first time I saw chefs making their own hand-cut pappardelle, a skill I set out to master.
Classic bread & butter pudding
I’ve loved this classic bread and butter pudding since childhood, and mastered the art of making it during my time spent working with Gary Rhodes. Cooking the pudding in a water bath makes the texture soft and creamy, contrasting with the caramelised crust and leaving you wanting more.
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Get more from Tom
Meet Tom and enjoy dinner with us at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill at our subscriber event. Tune in to his podcast every Wednesday from 25 September. Plus, see Tom live at the BBC Good Food Show Winter. Tom Kerridge’s American Feast starts 19 September at 9pm on Food Network.
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