The Pig's Ear

Licensees: SNPE, Simon Cherry/Olly Daniaud

Head chef: Chris Sharpe

Turnover: £500,000

Covers: 50

Covers per week: 350

Wet:dry split: 50:50

Best-selling dishes: Sirloin chop & chips (£17.50); game pie with pearl barley (£8.50); banoffee cheesecake (£5); home-made gnocchi with butternut squash velouté, wild mushrooms and truffle oil.

On the menu: Confit duck and foie gras terrine, Bramley apples, clementine

chutney and brioche; warm squid salad, chorizo and chickpea cassoulet, rocket, aged-balsamic; Shetland cod, Puy lentil & smoked bacon broth, salsa verde; braised brisket of Aberdeen Angus beef, horseradish mash, glazed pearl onions & wilted spinach; baked chocolate and orange fondant, white chocolate ice cream and fudge; roast autumn fruit sundae with cinnamon mascarpone. Special sharing dish for two changes fortnightly - dishes have included leg of Welsh mutton, Aberdeen Angus rump of beef, and rack of pork.

Best business idea in 2007: Not booking too many large tables per service.

Chefs' favourite ingredients: Love working with fresh and seasonal produce. Game on the menu, such as grouse, partridge and pheasant chipolatas, has been well received. Also love using fish, including sea bass, Shetland cod, squid and smoked eel.

Three things that make your pub stand out from the crowd: Location; quality clientele; excellent food and service - plus an extensive wine list.

Best-selling beer and wine: Pig's Ear ale (Uley Brewery) £3.10 pint; Bergerie de la Bastide red wine £15.

RECIPE​

CONFIT BRISKET OF ANGUS BEEF, HORSERADISH MASH, GLAZED PEARL ONIONS & WILTED SPINACH

1.4KG ANGUS BRISKET OF BEEF BONED AND ROLLED

COARSE SEA SALT

? BUNCH OF THYME

8 BULBS OF GARLIC

3KG DUCK FAT

1KG MASH POTATO

150G BUTTER

? PINT DOUBLE CREAM

? STICK HORSERADISH PEELED AND GRATED

RED WINE SAUCE 0R GOOD BEEF GRAVY

100G PEELED BABY ONIONS

500G WASHED AND PICKED BABY SPINACH

THIS RECIPE MAKES ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 12 POTIONS, BUT SHOULD YOU WISH TO CUT IT DOWN, JUST ASK YOUR BUTCHER FOR A SMALLER PIECE OF BRISKET, AND COOK WITH LESS DUCK FAT.

THIS IS A VERY HEARTY TRADITIONAL ENGLISH STYLE BRAISE, WHICH IS IDEAL FOR OUR BAR MENU. A REAL AUTUMN/WINTER WARMER. MADE OVER 3 DAYS BUT IS WELL WORTH THE EFFORT

METHOD

PLACE THE SALT, PEELED GARLIC AND TYHME IN A BLENDER TO MIX.

COVER THE BRISKETIN THE SALT, TOP AND BOTTOM, PLACE IN A CONTAINER AND LEAVE IN FRIDGE FOR 24HRS, THIS WILL FIRM UP THE MEAT, FLAVOUR, AND WITHDRAW SOME MOISTURE FROM THE JOINT.

NEXT DAY WASH OFF THE BEEF UNDER RUNNING COLD WATER, TO REMOVE THE SALTY TASTE. PAT DRY WITH KITCHEN PAPER AND SET ASIDE.

MEANWHILE MELT THE DUCK FAT IN A LARGE ROASTING TRAY IN THE OVEN. ADD THE BEEF, MAKE SURE THE BEEF IS COMPLETELY IMMERSED IN THE FAT, OR THE BEEF WILL DRY.

COVER WITH FOIL AND SLOWLY COOK ON GAS MARK 2, ABOUT 3-4 HOURS OR UNTIL MEAT IS TENDER BUT NOT FALLING APART.

WHEN COOKED LEAVE TO REST IN THE FAT FOR AN HOUR OR SO, THEN CAREFULLY REMOVE AND PLACE BETWEEN 2 TRAYS LAYERED WITH GREASEPROOF PAPER.

THIS WILL ENSURE THE BRISKET HAS A FLAT SURFACE. WHEN COOLED DOWN LEAVE OVERNIGHT IN THE FRIDGE TO FIRM UP.

DAY 3 WE CAN REMOVE THE BRISKET AND DIVIDE INTO NEAT SQUARE PORTIONS.

FOR THE MASH MELT THE BUTTER AND CREAM IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN. ADD THE HORSERADDISH, THEN ADD THE MASH POTATO, AND SLOWLY MIX WITH A SPATULA UNTIL THE MIX TURNS SMOOTH AND VELVETY, KEEP IN A WARM PLACE.

FOR THE BABY ONIONS WE JUST FRY THEM IN A PAN WITH SOME DUCK FAT, BUTTER AND BROWN SUGAR UNTIL THEY CARAMALISE, BUT CAREFULL THEY DON'T BURN!!

THE SPINACH IS JUST WILTED OR SLOWLY COOKED IN SOME BUTTER, SEASONED THEN DRAINED OVER A SIEVE.

TO RE-HEAT THE BEEF WE PLACE IN A FRYING PAN, FAT SIDE DOWN WITH A KNOB OF DUCK FAT AND A SMALL LADLE OF WATER. AS THE BEEF WARMS UP IT ABSORBS THE WATER AND FAT LEAVING IT JUICY AND CRISP ON THE FAT. USUALLY ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES DEPENDING ON THE SIZE. WARM THE RED WINE SAUCE OR BEEF GRAVY UP IN A LITTLE SAUCEPAN, ADD THE BABY ONIONS AND SIMMER UNTIL WARM

TO ASSEMBLE THE DISH WE PLACE SOME WARM HORSERADISH MASH IN A METAL RING, THE BEEF BRISKET ON TOP, THE DRAINED SPINACH ON TOP OF THE BEEF. THE BABY ONION SAUCE THEN GOES OVER THE SPINACH AND AROUND THE SIDES OF THE MASH.

WE ALSO FINNISH WITH SOME GARLIC OR TRUFFLE OIL TO JUST GIVE IT A NICE TOUCH.

The Pig's Ear 35 Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3 5BS 020 7352 2908 www.thepigsear.co.uk​