The Sportsman at Home with Stephen Harris

Flavoursome Recipes for Nostalgic Eating

There are few places in British food culture as quietly iconic as The Sportsman. Now celebrating over 25 years, the once-run-down pub on the Kent coast has become culinary institution thanks to chef Stephen Harris, who took the rein in 1999 with a singular vision: to transform something ordinary into something extraordinary. With a pared-back style rooted in honesty, seasonality, and place, Harris has now only earned and retained a Michelin star but has been repeatedly named the UK’s best restaurant – a rare feat for a modest seaside pub that remains as beloved by it’s local regulars as it is revered by chefs across the world.

The Sportsman is a cult classic, cherished for it’s unpretentious brilliance and it’s unwavering commitment to flavour.

In The Sportsman at Home, Stephen Harris invites readers into his Whitstable kitchen, offering a deeply personal glimpse into the ingredients and philosophies behind his celebrated cooking. The book translated the simple, thoughtful ethos of his restaurant into dishes made for everyday kitchen, with chapters spanning ‘Dinner’, ‘Nostalgia’, ‘Christmas’ and ‘An Ode to Cream’. From Pork Chop with Charred Leeks to Coq au Vin, Cream of Soups and a Blackcurrant and Almond Tart, each recipe reimagines familiar flavours – made simpler made better, and always guided by the rhythms of seasonal, local produce. Paired with evocative photography of the Kent landscapes that inspire him, The Sportsman at Home is a heartfelt celebration of simple food done exceptionally well by one of the UK’s most respected self-taught chefs.

In Conversation with Stephen Harris

The Sportsman at Home brings Michelin-stared thinking into the domestic kitchen. What do you think is the biggest misconception home cooks have about restaurant-level food – and how does this book aim to dismantle it?

The short answer is salt but I am not trying to dismantle perceptions of home cooked food but instead I’m bringing a professional eye to the domestic kitchen- too many recipes are complicated without need so I have hones them to be better but easier.

The chapters – from Nostalgia toAn Ode to Cream – feel very personal. Was there a particular dish or chapter that holds a special place for you?

My editor noticed that I used a lot more cream than many modern recipes so we thought we should lean in to it! I love the baking and making section. How many times have you been stuck for a present or a ‘bit skint’? Just cook one of the recipes from that chapter -who wouldn’t love some biscuits and chocolate milk?

Seasonality and locality are central to both The Sportsman and this book. How has that connection to place shaped the way you cook?

In some ways it has made life harder because I don’t tend to use ingredients from further afield but I find seasonality as obvious as breathing and equally inspirational.

As a self-taught chef, what advice would you give to passionate home cooks about trusting their instincts with simple ingredients?

I think we all know instinctively what good ingredients are. It’s obvious if a fish is fresh -just smell and look – has it come out of the sea recently? Another way to test the freshness is with vegetables – does it smell like the vegetable? Test it out! Nick the vegetable with your thumbnail and smell – it should smell of what the vegetable is!

Tell us Stephen, what does a normal day in the life look like for you?

I get to work between 7- 8am – I have coffee and answer emails. I meet and chat to my chef Dan about the day, any new dishes or anything we need to order. I often go to the farmers market and look for good ingredients – they have great fish, meat, veg and dry stores. The kitchen let me know what they need. I go into the kitchen and do my daily checks and then I usually leave them to service unless I am doing the pass that day/night.

Name three things in the kitchen you can’t live without!

• Great butter
• Sea salt (i never use table salt)
• Great fish and seafood.

Do you have a favourite cookbook that you’re currently reading? We’d love to know!

I tend to use cookbooks for inspiration so I’m always re-reading, Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson et al

Pear, Walnut and Roquefort Salad Recipe

This is an early dish from The Sportsman that old customers and staff still talk about now. It was based on a salad from Café Pasqual’s Cookbook (a restaurant in Santa Fe), which Stephen got from his brief time cooking in a Mexican restaurant in Canterbury. They used pecan nuts, which Stephen changed to walnuts, and the blue cheese became Roquefort.

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

• 50 ml (25 fl oz/3 cups) red wine

• 2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 star anise

• 3 cloves

• Pinch of chilli (hot pepper) flakes

• 4 Conference or Bosc pears, peeled

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil

• 2 teaspoons coffee liqueur (Tia Maria or Kahlúa)

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon icing (powdered) sugar

• Small handful of walnut halves

• 1 romaine lettuce

• 200 g (7 oz) Roquefort
• Pinch of Maldon Sea Salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. First, poach the pears. Put the wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves and chilli flakes into a saucepan and add the pears. Ensure the pears are totally submerged in the wine by placing a circle of baking parchment on top and then weighing them down with a plate. Poach gently over a low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the pears are soft – check them with a sharp knife.
2. Once cooked, remove the pan from the heat and allow the pears to cool in the poaching liquid, then strain the poaching liquid into a clean saucepan. Boil the poaching liquid to reduce it until it is the consistency of a syrup. This will make about 200 ml (7 fl oz/scant 1 cup) syrup.
3. Next, make the walnuts. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (400°F).
4. Put the oil, coffee liqueur, paprika and icing sugar into a bowl and mix together. Add the walnuts and toss to coat, then spread the nuts onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 30 minutes. Check and stir them regularly so they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
5. Slice the cooled pears lengthways on a mandoline.
6. Put the large lettuce leaves on each plate, then toss the leaves with a mixture of the pears, walnuts and Roquefort. Drizzle the poaching syrup around the salad, then sprinkle the salad with a pinch of Maldon Sea Salt and a twist of black pepper.

Where to Buy The Sportsman at Home

You can buy The Sportsman at Home here, and start being creating with food and flavours in the comfort of your kitchen.

Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your own take on Stephen recipes!