Gordon Ramsay\'s Great British Pub Food

Pressed ox tongue

with lamb's lettuce salad

Ox tongue maKes a delicious cold starter. You may need to

order one in advance from your butcher - remember that

you'll need to soak it overnight before cooking. Refrigerate

any leftover tongue and use as a sandwich filler.

Drain and rinse the tongue, then put it into a large cooking pot with
the vegetables. Pou r in e nough cold water to cover, bring to a simmer
and skim off t he scum from the surface until the water is clear. Add
the bouquet g arni, peppercorns, juniper berries and a pinch of salt.
Simmer over a gentle heat for 3V2-4 hours, topping up with boiling
water as necessary to keep the tongue covered. When cooked, the skin
should peel away easily f rom the flesh. To test, pierce with a small
knife; the meat should feel t ender. Lift the tongue out of the poach ing
stock and leave to cool slightly. Reserve the liquor.

Line a small loaf t in o r cylind rical mould, about 450g capacity, with
cling film, leaving e nough overhanging the sides to fold over the top.
While still warm, peel off the coarse skin from the tongue with a small
knife, or scrape it off with a spoon if you find this easier. Pack the
tongue int o the prepared ti n, trimming to fit as necessary. Spoon over
a little poaching liquid to fill any gaps as you pack the mould. Finally,
pour enough liquor over the tongue to cover it in a thin layer. Fold over
the excess cling film t o sea l and put a couple of heavy tins on top to
weigh the tong ue down. Chill for a few hours or overnight until set.

Take the tongue o ut ofthe fr idge 20-30 minutes before serving. Place
the salad leaves in a bowl. For the dressing, whisk the vin,egar and
olive oil together in a bowl with some salt and pepper. Just before
serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad leaves and toss lightly.

Unmould t he pressed t o ngue and cut into slices. Arrange 3 or 4 slices
on each plate w ith the salad leaves and a few caper berries alongside.

SERVES 4

1 unsalted ox tongue,

about 1.2kg, soaked

overnight in plenty of

cold water

1 large onion, peeled and

halved

1 celery stick, peeled and

cut into 3 pieces

1 large carrot, peeled and

cut into 3 pieces

1 large leek, trimmed

and cut into 3 pieces

1 bouquet garni (1 bay

leaf, few each thyme

and parsley sprigs, tied

together)

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp juniper berries

sea salt

SALAD

lOOg mixed lamb's

lettuce and frisee leaves

2 tsp cider vinegar (or

white wine vinegar)

3 tbsp olive oil

TO SERVE

few handfuls of caper

berries

STARTERS 95