Dishes and Memories of 2011

Ok, we are a few days into 2012 now, but I've been going through photos taken last year on my adventures, and thought I would put some of them together on here to piece together my movements for you. There will be a lot of foodporn, and plenty of dishes from a man called Rene.

I made two pilgrimages to Noma, Rene Redzepi's world famous 'best restaurant in the world' (according to the San Pellegrino/ Restaurant magazine list-the trophy is shown above) and both were stunning occasions. The first was a last minute thing, a friend called me to ask if I wanted to fill a space on his table there as someone else had dropped out. You dont turn down that sort of invitation, so I tagged along.

Noma is so much more than the food, its an ethos and a way of thinking, which the whole team, front of house and back, subscribe to. The food is boundary pushing stuff, what used to be called avant garde, and has been emulated to varying degrees by chefs all over the world. Above is a 'dish' we were served on my second visit there (my birthday dinner-worse ways to spend it!) of live shrimp, which we were invited to eat in a single bite after dipping the wriggly blighter in a brown butter emulsion-like a warm mayonnaise. it was both incredibly fresh and startlingly full of flavour.

One of my stand out meals from the U.K. last year was the Ledbury, Brett Graham's Notting Hill two Michelin starred restaurant. the above is one of the highlights from that lunch- salad of spring vegetables, morel curd, warm hen's egg. Stunning use of the freshest vegetables, tasty free range egg and an intense morel curd.

One of the up and coming chefs who I was lucky enough to meet and eat the food of, was Matt Gillan, the chef of The Pass at South Lodge Hotel. When I visited, I was treated to some new dishes He and his team had been experimenting with. Lots of flavour packed dishes, none more so than this crab orzo dish with charred corn and truffle 'glass'. the crab orzo (rice shaped pasta) was served warm, like an uncoated arancini, and the taste was stunning. Read about the rest of the meal here.

In April, this unlikely looking kitchen brigade was the team I was presented with by Raglan Primary School, to mentor in their cookery competition for their 'food festival'. They were a rowdy bunch, but they had some good ideas, and plenty of passion.

Their final dish was a salad of mackerel with dried tomatoes, Parmesan crisps and balsamic vinegar dressing.

(for the record, they won!)

The following month, I did a brief tour of the south west, part of which included the Caterer magazine's 'chef eats out' event at Nathan Outlaw's two Michelin starred restaurant in St Enedoc, Cornwall. Nathan's food is very clean, deceptively simple looking, and very tasty. The above is 'lemon sole, oyster, horseradish and cucumber'. deep fried oyster, which was huge, with a lightly steamed sole fillet, with a delicate horseradish cream, and salted cucumber. Nathan has a book coming out this year, and if this dish is any indicator, it will be some book.

Glynn Purnell is only 34, but seems to have been at the forefront of British food for a long time. His eponymous restaurant in Birmingham has held a Michelin star for several years, and I ate there twice this year. Of both visits, I think the truffle stuffed red mullet with truffle gnocchi and grilled lettuce was a highlight. Sweet girolles finished the ensemble.

Of the London restaurants which I visited, Apsleys at the Lanesborough hotel (run by Heinz Beck) was probably one of the glitziest in decor. It also yielded my favourite pasta dish of the year, the truffle and Parmesan agnolotti above. A liquid truffle sauce wrapped in delicate golden pasta parcels, lavished with shaved truffle, and twenty four month aged Parmesan. Very potent, but very more-ish.

On the same day I went to Apsleys, I also made my first call into Roganic, Simon Rogan's first entry into london (his other restaurants are in Cartmel, Cumbria. The food at Roganic is mainly vegetable led, with plenty of innovative methods and presentations to enhance them. The seawater cured mackerel, broccolli and warm elderflower honey showcases that style. A lovely dish.

I had to slip in my menu from Noma, signed by the man himself, Rene Redzepi.

Another restaurant we visited in Copenhagen, was 'the Paul', run by an Englishman, Paul Cunningham. Using the Scandinavian philosophy, and vast Danish Larder, Paul was awarded a Michelin star for his quirky restaurant. the pigeon, white asparagus and cocoa nib jus was startlingly good, very moist bird, full of flavour, and a great course of a great meal.

One of several (over50) courses from my trips to Noma which also stood out was this plate of raw shrimp, dehydrated sea urchin, coastal herbs and herb oil. The ingredients were not only amazingly fresh and vibrant, but all sourced from the same beach, including the pebbles which were frozen to the plate to help create the seaside feel. Brilliant.

Relae is another of Copenhagen's eateries, run by an ex-Noma sous chef and waiter team. It is in a slightly seedier part of town, in a subterranean shabby chic room. This was raw and cooked white asparagus, asparagus juice and oyster emulsion. Once again, the Danish ingredients were top notch, and treated with respect. A much more relaxed affair than Noma, but just as accomplished on the food front. Dont just take my word for it, we met David Chang of momofuku restaurant group there, and he said when he visits Copenhagen, which is often, he always goes to Relae.

The last of the dishes from Noma to make this list is the mussel snack, or canapé. It looks simple enough, but the steamed mussel sits on a stew of leeks, and an edible shell made of squid ink. a real 'wow' moment near the start of the exciting Noma experience.

The Final restaurant we visited in Denmark was Geranium, run by Rasmus Kofoed, who won gold in last years Bocuse D'or competition, after finishing in second and third places in previous years-his three trophies are at the top of this post. Much of the food at geranium was more refined than Noma's in many ways, and there is the same level of thought and research gone into the dishes. A prime example of this was the tastes and textures of milk. sorbet, caramel, ice cream, mousse and powder were all prepared with great technique and effort, to create a milk dessert which showcased different elements of the ingredients complex flavour. the powder was even sprinkled on at our table, from a cardboard milk carton. great theatre, and a great dish.

A simpler, but just as satisfyingly tasty meal was served to me at Marcus Bean's pub, the New Inn, Baschurch in shropshire. Local ingredients are once again the key, and all all of this salad of asparagus, radish, herbs and quail eggs come from the local area. Totally fresh, and cooked with care and precision, I loved Marcus's food.

Anyone who reads this blog regularly will know of my respect and admiration for Grant Achatz of restarant Alinea in Chicago. This year, He released a book about his life so far, called 'a life, on the line'. Its a stunning insight into what made him push to get to his current position, as the leader of gastronomy in the U.S.A., and one of the best chefs in the world. As a regular user of a chefs website called The Staff Canteen, I entered, and won a competition on there to win a signed copy of that book. It is now a prized possession, tucked safely away with my signed menu from when I ate there in 2010.

The last two great meals I had in 2011 came on the same day in December, when I re-visited Roganic, and dropped in at a newly opened restaurant in the Westbury hotel, run by Alyn Williams, previously head chef at Marcus Wareing. Both meals were stunning, the highlight of my meal at Alyn's is pictured above left, in the rather blurry phone shot. Its a foie gras parfait, with frozen yoghurt, sand carrot, and liquorice, and I can only describe it as sensational. the textures and flavour worked in unison to blow me away. The rest of the meal was equally brilliant, and Alyn Williams at the Westbury has a bright future.

The picture next to it is poached and grilled king oyster mushroom, with pickled beetroot, from Roganic. Ben Spalding had really raised his game in the six months between my visits, and this dish was certainly among the best. A great way to end the year for me.

So, that's it for my 2011.

I had more meals than these, obviously, and just because the other places I dined at aren't featured here, doesn't mean I didn't enjoy them!

I hope you will all come back regularly to see what adventures 2012 holds for me.

As James Knappett said at the all-stars event, "food is love, keep eating!"

All the best, and a Belated happy new year!

Lemon Assiette

This is my dessert from the 'all-stars'
event at Matt Gillan's 'pass' restaurant at South Lodge Hotel. (http://thymeandplaice.blogspot.com/2011/10/matt-gillan-and-event.html)
It was a popular dish on the night, and lots of you have commented on it over the last few months, so I thought I'd share the recipe.
There are several elements to the dish, but you can make most of them in advance, or just make some of them to create an equally decent finish to any meal!
The elements are-
Classic lemon tart,
Warm lemon muffin,
Lemon curd,
Marshmallow,
Light lemon mousse
And Frothy lemon sorbet.

Classic lemon tart
Pastry
510g soft/plain flour (A)
170g icing sugar (A)
240g diced butter (B)
finely grated zest of 1 lemon,seeds of 1
vanilla pod (C)
1 whole egg+1 egg yolk (D)
sieve (A), add (B) and work in well until
the mix resembles breadcrumbs, then fold in (C).when combined, add (D) and mix
until the dough just comes together in a ball. wrap tightly in cling film and
refrigerate for 20 minutes.
*when the pastry is rolled into the tin,
reserve any excess and bake at the same time, to crumble and use as a base for
the mousse and sorbet.

filling
9 whole eggs (A)
400g caster sugar (A)
juice of 5 lemons, zest of 2 (B)
255g double cream (B)
whisk (A) until well combined, then fold in
(B). stand for 1 hour, then pass through a sieve to remove zest.

assembly
roll the pastry to approx 3-4mm thickness,
and line a 28cm tart tin (which has been lightly greased and floured) with the
pastry, and rest again for 20 minutes. cover with paper and baking beans, and
bake at 165 °C for 25-35 minutes until the pastry is cooked. remove from the
oven, and using an egg yolk, brush and line the inside of the pastry to create
a protective shell. return the tin to the oven, and turn down to 120 °C and
cook for 3 minutes. while the pastry is still warm, and with the tart case still
in the oven and door open, gently pour the filling into the pastry until it is
as full as you dare! gently push the tart back into the oven, and bake for
30-40 minutes until the filling has a slight wobble, and appears cooked. remove
from the oven, and allow to cool.

Warm lemon muffin
340g icing sugar (A)
310g egg white (pasteurised) (A)
125g ground almonds (B)
125g plain flour (B)
125g melted (and cooled to room
temperature) butter (C)
45g limoncello liquer (C)
finely grated zest of 1 lemon (C)

whisk (A) to a soft meringue, adding the
sugar in stages. when glossy and firm, fold in (B), then carefully fold in (C).
pour the mixture into a disposable piping bag, qand refrigerate until ready to
use- at least 20 minutes.
to cook, cut the end off the piping bag,
and pipe into a fleximould tray with 2.5 cm diameter cups.
bake for 8 minutes at 170 °C. while still
warm, glaze with a mix of the juice of 1/2 a lemon, and 100g icing sugar, and
bake for 1 more minute. serve warm.
*these also make excellent petit fours, or
cooked in a bigger mould, fantastic afternoon tea cakes!

Lemon curd
zest of 8 lemons (A)
240ml lemon juice (A)
170g diced unsalted butter (B)
340g caster sugar (B)
5 whole eggs (beaten) (C)

warm (A) without boiling, then pour into a
large metal bowl over a pan of simmering water (the bowl must not be sat in the
water) and add (B) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully
dissolved. remove from the water filed pan, and cool slightly (approx 10
minutes). when the mix is only slightly warmer than blood temp, add (C) and
return to the water filled pan. cook out until the mixture reaches 82 °C. at
this temp, it thickens, and becomes like a thick 'soup' consistency.
cool as quickly as possibly in a shallow
tub, and cover with cling film and a tight fitting lid as soon as it is cold.
the cooked curd will keep for 5 days in the fridge.

Marshmallow
*this recipe is tricky to downscale, so
this makes quite a lot, but it is very 'more-ish' and wont last long!
660g caster sugar (A)
2 dessertspoons liquid glucose (A)
450ml water (A)
3 egg whites (B)
11 leaves bronze gelatine (C) (softened in
cold water)
3 tablespoons lemon curd (D)

in a thick bottomed small pan, bring (A) to
the boil gently (don’t allow it to boil until the sugar is dissolved, or it
will crystallize) and then boil to 118 °C or 'soft ball'. when the sugar has
almost reached this temperature, start whisking the egg whites. once it is at
118 °C, pour into the egg to form an Italian meringue, and keep it whisking
until the mixture is starting to cool. melt the gelatine gently, and pour into
the cooling egg mixture, along with (D) and keep whisking until room
temperature. working quickly, pour into a flat tray and allow to set. once set,
cut into long strips and roll in an equal mix of icing sugar and cornflour.

Light lemon mousse
255g whipping cream (A)
juice of 6 lemons (A)
2 bronze gelatine (B)
6 egg yolks (C)
120g caster sugar (C)
20g cornflour (C)
6 egg whites (D)
120g caster sugar (E)

bring (A) to the boil, at the same time
soak (B) in a little cold water, and whisk (C) to combine.as (A) comes to the
boil, pour over (C), return to the pan and cook out gently until it thickens.
remove from heat and add (B) while still warm. as that mixture cools, whisk (D)
until it becomes foamy, and start adding (E) gradually as the whites whisk, to
create a meringue. once this is ready, fold into the semi-cooled lemon mix.
pour into a cling film lined deep tray, and allow to set in the fridge for an
hour. sprinkle the tart base crumbs over the top, then using a board to cover
the mousse, turn upside down and remove the tin. remove the cling film and
using a cutter, portion the mousse. return to the fridge until ready to serve.

Frothy lemon sorbet
500g caster sugar (A)
500g water (A)
325g sparkling mineral water (B)
juice of 5 lemons (B)
3 egg whites (C)

bring (A) to the boil, and simmer for 3
minutes. cool in the fridge. when fully cold, add(B) and start to churn in an
ice cream machine. after 5 minutes, add (C) and churn to completion. remove
from machine and store in a clean tub in the freezer until ready to serve.

Assembly
portion the tart, and glaze with a little
icing sugar.
spread a little of the curd along the
centre of the plate, and assemble the mousse and tart on top, with the warm
muffin. lay the mallow strip over the tart, and sprinkle a little of the tart
base crumb in one place for the sorbet. scoop the sorbet and place on the
crumb. Serve and enjoy!

Roganic, Blandford street, London

Although Roganic is obviously the baby restaurant of Simon Rogan, it seems the Prodigous talent that is the head chef Ben Spalding, has really bloomed in his position at the helm of one of the most highly thought of restaurants on the London scene.

When I originally ate at the temporary Blandford street home of Simon's first foray into the capital, although Ben was in charge then as well, there was definitely a large slice of L'enclume running through the food (although admittedly, the place still had wet paint on some of the woodwork as it had only been open for three days...). Fast forward six months, and I certainly got the feeling that Ben has matured rapidly in his surroundings into a chef confident in what he is doing, and strong enough to allow his own passion for food shine through in his dishes.

Upon my arrival at Roganic, I am greeted by the familiar smiling faces of the front of house team of Sandia Chang and Jon Cannon. It was a chilly december lunchtime, and I was the first to arrive, but the room and the welcome were warming, and set the tone for the next few hours experience. A glass of dry, organic Prossecco to start the meal was offered, and it was the perfect partner to my opening nibbles, or canapes- squid ink cracker, celery leaf and smoked cream cheese- slightly salty, lightly smoked with a strong, but not overpowering flavour, and corned beef croquette, mustard mayonnaise- like the ultimate 'corned beef hash' (hope Ben doesnt mind the comparison), warming comfort food, which had the ability to revive memories and simply leave me smiling to myself, as I sat hoping someone would bring me a few more of them.

These canapes were a strong start to the meal, and like all the other courses I had, just the right size to get you excited, and leave you wanting one bite more. Thomas Keller wrote in the original French Laundry Cookbook that his theory was to do just that, which was why he introduced multi-course tasting menus there, and Ben has mastered that particular art.

An offering of bread was generous and highly tasty. Matched with the Netherend farm (Gloucestershire) butter, which is whipped and seasoned with Maldon sea salt and then smeared onto a large pebble from Folkestone beach, where Ben goes foraging for much of the sea herbs used at Roganic. The breads were chestnut flatbread, potato and buttermilk, irish sourdough and pumpernickel.

My first 'proper' course was 'millet pudding with grains, burnt pear and Isle of Mull blue'. Similar to a risotto, but with the millet giving an earthier taste, and the Mull blue cheese adding a salty piquancy, which balanced with the sweet pear to create a stunning opener. Dill oil and sea kale completed the dish, and the whole thing kept the smile on my face.

Next up in this marathon lunch (I had chosen the 10 course menu, figuring it was best to assess as many dishes as possible while I was there...) was the 'smoked braddock white, pickled roots, ox-eye daisy and salt beef'. While the description was quite a mouthful, the actual dish was also plentiful, and extremely tasty. The smoked egg yolk is smoked over applewood, and presented with a glass bell jar filled with the same smoke, so when it is removed at your table, the autumnal aroma of smoke and the visual appearance of the dish combine to make you feel like a child again, and when you cut into the yolk, and it has the texture of soft butter, its very hard not to smile.

The flavours are just as important as the appearance, and this is becoming one of Ben's signature dishes due to its intense, sweet, smoky flavour. lovely woodland textures make it very autumnal/wintery, right from the yolk to the tiny brioche croutons, everything there for a reason.

For my first fish dish, I was served 'roasted scallop, cured char, purple sprouting and chokeberry vinaigrette'. This was a very 'seaside' tasting dish, not as obvious as you think for a fish dish, as to encapsulate all the flavours of sea air you need salt, fresh fish, sweetness as well as a touch of acidity, and this dish had it all- the tiny choke berries cut in half had both sweetness and acidity, the char was so fresh it could have been still flipping when it was delivered that morning, and the fried onions which were part of the assembly gave a salty bitterness to the whole thing, which if you closed your eyes, would convince you that you were paddling in the sea. some of the broccolli was also in the form of a puree, and although not necessary, it certainly didnt harm the dish.

To follow that, I subconciously felt the meal couldnt possibly get better- I was wrong. A vegetable course of 'poached and grilled king oyster, pine, beetroot and coastal sea leaves' blew my mind. Not since 'Noma' had I tasted so much flavour in a dish without protein. To master this kind of cooking, and excite the palate with vegetables, shows that Ben is a man on the up. Mushroom puree and soil added to the mix to show off textural diversity as well as depth of flavour which you usually only associate with a plate of pork prepared several ways- really strong stuff. The addition of a single chicory leaf gave just enough bitterness to hold the flavour balance together. Pine is an ingredient which takes real precision, or it can overpower and leave everything tasting like a bathroom cleanser, this left a hint of freshness to the experience, and worked so well.

Moving on from my perfect vegetable dish, came another non-protein course-a sly addition to the usual menu, courtesy of Ben. This was the 'king richard leek, baked in red clay and rosemary'. Prior to serving, the Leek wrapped in clay was brought to my table on a steaming pile of rosemary inflicted soil, for me to see how the leek is baked. A nice touch of theatre to the course.

Once the plated leek came to my table, it was also accompanied by a plate of truffles, which once the dish sat in front of me, Jack - one of the front of house team- proceeded to shave over the leek. Believe me when I say that Jack ain't shy with the truffle! All that truffle, combined with a toasted pine-nut puree, shallot jam, kale and a rich truffle cream sauce to enhance and bring the best out of the fine tasting leek. As anyone who has tried it will testify, leek and truffle is a marriage made in heaven, and this was pretty much as good as it gets on the leek/truffle pairing.

At this point, I realised that here I was, sat in a full restaurant, on my own, smiling. I looked around, and everyone else was smiling too, some of them barely noticed the food in front of them because of their dining partners, but I had by far the biggest grin on my face because I was giving the food the attention it deserves.

As I sat and smiled like a madman, I was served my next offering-yet again vegetable based, but no worse off because of it. This was the 'caramelised cauliflower, sour cream, raisin, gilled lettuce and yarrow'. Intense, almost charred cauli, with its pickled brother (reminiscent of piccalilli), dried powder, raisin puree and fried yarrow which was bitter but in a good way, combined with the grilled heart of a little gem lettuce to do a tricky vegetable well. Cauliflower is a great accompaniement, rarely the main attraction. coupled with the attractive presentation, another winning meat-free course.

As descriptions go, 'Mr Little's yeltholm gypsies' leaves a lot to the imagination, especially when followed up with 'cooked in chicken fat', but trust me when I tell you, this potato (the gypsy) was like the worlds best roast potato, VERY meaty from the chicken fat, just at the point of being cooked, and paired with very complimentary ingredients- sliced snow peas (an ingredient I have never had an affection for, but this worked), crisp chicken skin, pea shoots and a strong clam juice sauce. The slight bitter note on the chicken skin was perfect, and I was told the dish had its origins in a dish from L'enclume, Which can only be a good thing, as this was sublime. Another one of those courses where I wanted more.

Returning to the fish front next, a lovely dish of 'dab, baked in fennel salt' this was deceptively simple in presentation (again), and packed full of flavour. Brought to me with some Morecombe bay shrimps, grilled baby leek, charred sprout leaves and parsley root, this favoured the delicate, moist dab with intense flavoured vegetables with a herbal balance and fresh taste of the garden.

Time for my final savoury course, and wasn't it a good one! '72 hour (three days!!) braised short rib beef, carrot, salsify and redcurrant' said the menu. and thats exactly what i got, with the addition of sea buckthorn leaves and a few caramelized silverskin onions. Having played with long braises on beef before, I know the rewards are worth the wait, but this was exceptional, tender, sticky meat, rich sauce, sweet and sharp berries, and earthy vegetables all balanced together and the whole dish was spot on. Being so rich, you felt that a larger portion could have been too much, but once again, the balance was exact. My favourite beef dish all year- up to that point (Alyn Williams that evening just pipped Ben to that title!).

Before moving to the sweet courses, a refresher of Iced ginger beer and juniper cake was ushered to me. Not a classic palate cleanser, but damned tasty. the ginger and juniper were a great combo, if a little strong in the aftertaste. For my taste, a little lime or other citrus may have just toned it down a little. (my only slight criticism ofthe whole meal)

Another bit of at-the-table theatre next, with the warm salted chocolate mousse element of the ''warm salted chocolate, toasted almonds and heritage apple sorbet' being added to the plate by Sandia from an isi whipper. The mousse, and the dish as a whole, was magnificent, again balancing salt, sweet, fruit and the slight bitterness of the toasted almonds to the precise point of ultimate pleasure. Unmentioned, but vital to the dish were some dice of a medicinal tasting pear. genius on a plate. Heritage apple sorbet was intense, and very sweet to go head to head with the chocolate and hold its own. Prior to this course, my arm was twisted (honest) into a glass of late harvest chenin blanc to accompany my desserts, and boy was I glad I did. The wine had a very Sauternes-like taste, with a hint of spice and more than a little honey. It could have been made just for this dish.

My final full dessert course (nearly there!) was 'bilberries, dried caramel, natural yoghurt and iced lemon thyme', but once again, it was far more than the sum of its parts- the bilberries came as a compote/jam, and a very crisp glass like tuile, the yoghurt was a sorbet, sharp and sour and great with the bilberries. Dried caramel turned out to be a powder, made with a tapioca starch called maltodextrin, which has the property to absorb fat to create a powder, which returns to its former state in moisture, so when you eat the caramel pwder, you get the warm, gooey caramel you started out with. Throw in the lemon thyme ice, in the form of a granité, and you have another fine course, a perfect (if there is such a thing) end to an amazing meal.

As I said, that was NEARLY the end of the meal, I had one more surprise, in the form of a warm 'petit four' of douglas fir milkshake, white chocolate and walnut cookie. This was simple, yet very tasty. lighter than you expect from a milkshake, but at the end of a long lunch like that, it was spot on. the cookie-also served warm- gave a texture and nutty edge to it.

Despite so many courses, I wasnt bloated stuffed or feeling the pinch of my belt, I was satisfied and happy, which is the magic of Ben's menu- every detail has been planned, and balanced to make sure whether you have the three, six or ten course menu, you are at the same point- pleasurably fed.

Thinking about what people look for when they eat out, several things came to mind- attentive service, good food, inventive and creative food, a relaxed atmosphere, fresh food, location and value for money. Roganic tick all those boxes. They also tick several more, which is why it is such a bust restaurant. If Simon Rogan gets to the end of the two year life of this 'pop-up', and doesn't continue elsewhere in london, it will be a tragedy.

Ben- thank you. Thank you for this meal, and all the others I hope to have at roganic, and also thank you for signing a menu for my best mate!