Making Gentlemans Relish at home | Trying to get as close as I can

Presenter / channel

Trying to get as close as I can (video title: “Making Gentleman’s Relish at home | Trying to get as close as I can”).

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Cooking goal

Make a homemade “Gentleman’s Relish” style paste close to the original, after the commercial product was discontinued.

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Ingredients (with quantities/ratios mentioned)

Core

• Fresh salted anchovies (~65% of the relish; major ingredient)
  • Use fresh salted anchovies (not those in oil) to avoid it becoming “slimy.”
  • Sourced from Italy.

Spices / seasonings (approximate ratios; “trace amounts”)

• Butter (melted; amount just enough for the small pot)
• Nutmeg (freshly grated preferred; or ground/grated)
  • Added in small “trace amounts.”
• Mace (added after nutmeg)
  • Equal amount to the nutmeg (also described as “trace amounts”)
• Cinnamon (small amount; “trace amounts”)
• White pepper (small amount; stated preference)
• Salt
  • Guidance mentioned: overall salt should be ~25% of the total dish
  • Creator’s estimate from available info comparison: they added about ~10%
• English mustard
  • Added for flavor (amount not specified in grams)

Binder / texture

• Rusk (rusk crumbs) (used like soaking breadcrumb)
  • Target: ~10% of the weight
  • Purpose: absorb juices and expand

Variation / optional clued ingredient

• Bay leaf (optional, based on a reported clue)
  • Mentioned claim: John Osborne used only one bay leaf, which “lasted for two locks” (timing/lifespan unclear)
  • Instruction: “stick in a bay leaf.”

Optional serving cruncher idea

• Rye/salt crackers (alternative to rusk mentioned), but the creator uses rusk.

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Equipment & prep

• Bowl/container to wash anchovies
• Tools to debone and process anchovies (then blend afterward)
• Pot for gently heating butter + spices
• Blender/whizzing (“blitz/whizz”) for anchovy-spice paste
• Fridge storage
• Pot/jar for final storage

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Step-by-step method (key technique + timings)

1. Wash the salted anchovies

   • Goal: remove much of the bulk salt.
   • Cue: “give these anchovies a wash” before further work.

2. Remove backbone and bones

   • Remove as many bones as possible.
   • Key cue: tiny bones aren’t a problem—they dissolve and are blended away.
   • Realism note: even with some tiny bits remaining, it’s workable for a small pot.

3. Soak the anchovies

   • Clue referenced: John Osborne soaked the anchovies, so the creator repeats this step.

4. Melt butter on low heat

   • Melt butter over nice low heat until fully liquid.

5. Bloom/add spices into the melted butter

   • Grate in nutmeg.
   • Add mace in an equal amount (trace amounts).
   • Add cinnamon (slight sweetness).
   • Add white pepper.
   • Add salt (creator reports “a couple spoonfuls”)
     • Target guidance mentioned: overall salt ~25%, but creator estimates they got ~10%.
   • Add English mustard.
   • Heat cue: bring mixture to boiling/simmering (“on simmer”); described as darkening due to mace (compared to “burnt sugar”).

6. Blend (“blitz/whizz”) spiced butter with anchovies

   • Instruction: blend thoroughly (“blitz that up with the anches”) to get “pretty close.”

7. Add rusk using a two-stage process (important technique fix)

   • Rusk amount: ~10% of the weight
   • Correct method:
     • Whiz rusk into the mixture
     • Let it expand overnight so it soaks up juices
     • Whiz again the next day
   • Mistake to avoid:
     • If you skip the overnight expansion and mix immediately, you may need to scrape it out and whizz again.

8. Rest/expand and check texture

   • Notes:
     • You may see little bits of skin if you look closely.
     • The creator says you don’t want to see those, but they need to be left to expand (via the rusk soak) and blended/treated again as needed.

9. Re-blend after chilling

   • Store in the fridge.
   • When taking out: “give it another whiz.”

10. Pack into storage pots

    • Transfer to any pot/jar you want to keep it in.

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Tips / notes from the chef (from subtitles)

• Tiny bones aren’t an issue: they dissolve during blending.
• Avoid “slimy” anchovies: use fresh salted anchovies (not oil-packed).
• Rusk expansion overnight is key to correct texture; otherwise you’ll likely have to redo the blend.
• Bay leaf (matching the clue): add one bay leaf.

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Serving / plating suggestions

• No specific plated dish is described.
• It’s used as a relish/paste, with the creator implying it tastes “as good, if not even better.”

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Referenced sources / people mentioned

• John Osborne
  • Credited with soaking anchovies and adding one bay leaf (reported by people who worked for “Elsa”).
• Creator mentions asking for the recipe from AB Will Food, but receives no usable recipe details.
• No direct external recipe source is cited beyond “information online” comparisons.