Tana Ramsay’s Real Family Food: Delicious Recipes for Everyday Occasions

250g/9oz spinach

250ml/9fl oz double cream

100ml/4fl oz milk

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

600g/21oz smoked haddock fillet, skinned

pepper

25g/1oz parsley, roughly chopped

1 lemon, quartered

wholemeal bread to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.

2 Wash the spinach thoroughly. Shake the water off and place in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Put the lid on the saucepan and cook until the spinach wilts. Drain in a colander and allow to cool.

3 Mix together the cream, milk and grain mustard and put to one side.

4 When the spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible using the back of a large metal spoon. Roughly chop the spinach and divide between the four 250ml/9fl oz ramekins.

5 Now divide the uncooked haddock between the ramekins, feeling for as many bones as possible and tweezering them out, and pour the cream mixture over the top. Season with pepper but not salt as the haddock will be salty enough already.

6 Bake for 20–25 minutes until the cream is really bubbling.

7 Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Squeeze the lemon over the top and serve immediately with wholemeal bread.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 20–25 minutes

croque madame (#ulink_4324526e-f74c-591f-9725-f9c4e4093752)

This is a perfect Saturday morning breakfast for all the family and an excellent alternative to traditional bacon and eggs. It’s also really easy to make.

8 slices good quality thick-sliced white bread

200g/7oz Gruyère cheese, finely grated

12 slices smoked ham

50g/2oz butter, very soft

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp sunflower oil

4 eggs

1 Preheat the grill to high (240°C/475°F).

2 Place 4 slices of bread on a baking tray and sprinkle with half the grated Gruyère.

3 Arrange 3 slices of ham on top then sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Cover with another slice of bread and push down firmly. Butter the top of each sandwich very thinly and put to one side for a moment while you prepare the eggs.

4 Heat the oils in a frying pan until very hot. Carefully crack the eggs into the oil and turn the heat down a little.

5 As soon as the eggs are in the pan, put the sandwiches under the grill. I always set the oven timer for 1 minute as it is easy to forget about them while you are concentrating on the eggs.

6 After 1–2 minutes the sandwiches will be a beautiful golden colour. Carefully flip them over, butter the other side and return them under the grill. Again, set the oven timer for a minute.

7 Returning to the eggs: carefully tip the frying pan to one side and, using a metal tablespoon, ladle the hot oil over the egg yolks. This will ensure that the eggs are runny in the centre but cooked on the top.

8 After 1–2 minutes the sandwiches will be golden on the other side. Remove from the grill and serve immediately with a fried egg on top of each.

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

smoked salmon, cream cheese and scrambled egg bagels (#ulink_7c55ef3c-e2b8-548a-aa31-6c0c94f445fc)

Everyone has their own way of making scrambled eggs. Mine isn’t perfect but it certainly goes down well in my house. If you’re feeling virtuous and have lots of time on your hands you can also make your own bagels (see page 24).

4 bagels (bought or homemade)

soft cheese (I use Philadelphia), to spread

4 slices good smoked salmon

1 lemon, cut into wedges

black pepper

FOR THE SCRAMBLED EGGS

6 eggs

good pinch of Maldon sea salt

good grinding of black pepper