Pub Grub
by George Darbyshire
(Ebury Press, £22)
Photography by Hannah Rose Hughes.
How to Recreate Pub Classics at Home
Here's how to make proper pub grub in your own kitchen
Darker nights, colder mornings and changing colours on the trees - autumn is made for cosy comforts. Pub Grub is self-taught home cook George Darbyshire's debut cookbook, bringing together everything he has learned about the nostalgic, classic comfort food you find in proper pubs. Here, he shares three of his favourites.
Sausage, Apple & Cider Casserole
Juicy sausages, sweet apples and a tangy hit of cider make this a casserole with a twist. The potatoes soak up the rich sauce while the apples soften but still keep a little bite, adding freshness. Crispy bacon on top adds a salty crunch, and with everything prepared in one pan, it’s simple, hearty comfort food with a boozy kick.
SERVES
4
PREP
20 mins
COOK
1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 12 good-quality pork sausages
- 6 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
- 200g round shallots, peeled
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 500ml dry cider
- 300ml chicken stock
- 200ml water
- 500g Jersey Royal potatoes, halved if large
- A few fresh sage leaves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 apples, cored and thickly sliced
- Chopped chives, to finish
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole pan and brown the sausages on all sides, then transfer them to a roasting tray and place them in the oven. Add the bacon to the casserole pan and cook until crisp, then remove and set aside.
Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook until softened. Stir through the tomato purée and flour and let it cook out for a minute before gradually pouring in the cider, stock and water, stirring well.
Tip in the potatoes, sage leaves, lemon zest, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Return the sausages to the pan along with half the crispy bacon, then tuck in the apple slices.
Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the potatoes are tender.
Finish with the remaining bacon and a scattering of chives.
Shepherd’s Pie with Rosemary Mash
This is one of those timeless comfort dishes – hearty, warming and deeply satisfying. This version takes the midweek special up a notch with red wine in the filling, and Parmesan and Cheddar in the mash, giving it richness and depth. The rosemary brings a gentle earthiness, and finishing it off with a golden crust makes it a great dish to put down in the middle of the table for everyone to tuck into.
SERVES
6–8
PREP
25 mins
COOK
1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1kg lamb mince
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tbsp tomato purée
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves finely chopped
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 250ml red wine
- 250ml chicken stock
- Salt and black pepper
- For the potato topping
- 2kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 4 tbsp butter
- 100g Cheddar, grated
- 60ml double cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
- 7 tbsp grated Parmesan
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Heat the oil in a large pan, season the lamb mince, and cook over a medium-high heat for two to three minutes until browned. Stir in the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, then mix in the Worcestershire sauce, tomato purée, thyme and rosemary and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the red wine, let it reduce until almost gone, then add the stock. Simmer until thickened, then season.
Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, then drain and return to the pan briefly to dry out. Mash with the butter, Cheddar, cream, egg yolks and rosemary, seasoning to taste.
Spread the lamb mixture in an ovenproof dish and top with the mash, fluffing the surface with a fork. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, season and bake for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Time-saving tip: This dish is ideal for meal prep – make a significant portion, split it into containers and freeze. It reheats brilliantly and makes a quick, comforting dinner on busier nights.
Stout Chilli con Carne
Chilli con carne is a bit of a regular in our house – one of those easy-going dishes that feeds a crowd and doesn’t demand too much from you but always goes down well. This version’s got a little something extra. The addition of stout gives it a richer, deeper base and the bitterness of the stout cuts through the sweetness of the tomatoes and the smokiness of the spices, adding proper body and balance to the sauce. Let it simmer low and slow so all those flavours can get to know each other – and like all the best chillies, it’s even better the next day.
SERVES
6
PREP
25 mins
COOK
2¼ hours
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 900g beef mince
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp chipotle paste
- 440ml can of stout
- 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 2 × 400g tins kidney beans, drained
- 2 beef stock cubes, crumbled
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- Juice of 1 lime
- 60g fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- Salt and black pepper
- To serve
- Steamed rice or nachos
- Pickled red onions
- Grated Cheddar
- Fresh chillies
- Soured cream
- Fresh coriander leaves
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the beef mince, season with salt and pepper and cook until browned all over, breaking it up as it cooks. Once it’s coloured, lift it out of the pan and set aside. Add the onions to the same pan and cook until soft, then stir in the garlic and fresh chillies. Once that’s all softened and smelling good, return the browned mince to the pan.
Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander and chipotle paste and let that cook out for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stout to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits from the bottom. Let it bubble for a minute or two, then add the chopped tomatoes, drained kidney beans and crumbled beef stock cubes. Bring it all to a gentle simmer and leave it bubbling away for one hour and 45 minutes – remove the lid halfway through cooking and make sure to give it a stir occasionally so it doesn’t catch. Near the end, add the soy sauce, orange juice and lime juice and stir through the fresh coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with rice or nachos and top with pickled onions, grated Cheddar, fresh chillies, soured cream and more coriander.
