KITCHEN LIFE
The
cream of the crop Michelin-starred chef Mark Jordan is at the forefront of Jersey’s exciting food scene, and says that, for him, cooking is like a drug
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ersey’s food scene is notable for several things including its dairy produce, its potatoes, and its Michelin-starred chefs. Mark Jordan, Executive Head Chef at the Atlantic Hotel, has been instrumental in the success of the hotel’s Ocean Restaurant. In his first year in the role, they received the Rising Star, and they’ve since received a Michelin star and retained it for seven years, as well as gaining four AA rosettes. Born in Wales and raised in the Midlands, Mark’s career has taken him through the most revered kitchens in England, including La Rascasse in London, Jean-Christophe Novelli’s The Mill at Gordleton, and the Pink Geranium, where he worked for seven years. In his spare time, when he isn’t being a chef, Mark goes on a busman’s holiday and also runs his own bistro, Mark Jordan at the Beach, managed by wife Magda, in St Aubin’s Bay. His success at the Atlantic has been replicated at his bistro, which has gained its own two rosettes. Here, the décor is natural and replicates the coastal life outside its windows. The food has the same ethos as at the Atlantic, but in a simpler format. He may have six rosettes and a Michelin star, but Mark isn’t one to rest on his laurels!
Did you always want to be a chef? No, when I was at school I wanted to work in animation, but that wasn’t working out very well so I was encouraged to try H.E. and I loved it. I like using my hands, and I found that the two areas had some things in common – I enjoy design and creating and, above all else, I like doing things that really interest me. What are your first memories of cooking? My first memory is actually of making a Swiss roll, and being a bit naughty about it. I distinctly remember tapping the boy next door’s sponge. I mean, it’s not as though I demolished it, but I was definitely getting
a bit competitive – I have this recollection of being kitted out in white plastic overalls and tapping his roll with a tea towel! Where did you start your career? At the Arrow Mill Hotel and Restaurant in Alcester, Warwickshire. I then went on to work for Keith Floyd, and joined him when he started up a restaurant in Devon. Floydie took me under his wing – I was only 16, the same age as his son, so he treated me a bit like a surrogate son. I suddenly found myself in this exciting life where I’d be going to functions in London with him and felt like I was living the dream. July/August
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Cooking is like a drug. You find that you’re happy to spend 20 hours in a kitchen, and that’s a hell of a long time What were the main things that you learned from Keith, and later, from Jean Christophe Novelli when you worked for him? That less is more. What I do now is kind of a refined version of that – the simplicity of the food that Floyd used to prepare. I worked for Jean Christophe Novelli as a sous chef and his style was much more technical, so I learnt from that, too. These days, I like to make my dishes very simple, just three or four things on a plate, no chemicals or lotions and potions – I’m just not into all that. There’s a lot of this molecular stuff around, but it’s not my cup of tea. If you’ve got the best produce, why mess around? Are you very hands-on or does your role keep you out of the kitchen? I’m working for every single service – I split my time so I’m either at The Atlantic or at the Bistro, in the kitchen. It’s how I like it! What’s the worst thing about your job? The only thing I could say that’s bad about it is the way that you live for the job. Cooking is like
a drug. You find that you’re happy to spend 20 hours in a kitchen, and if you think about it, that’s a hell of a long time. In another profession you wouldn’t want to be doing that many hours. I’ve been doing it for 29 years and when I do have a night off, I find that I just can’t relax if I’m not in the kitchen. Do you have a signature dish? I have a few that are very popular at the Ocean, like the lemon sole, but if I had to pick one of my favourites I’d probably choose my langoustines on a rock dish, that I prepared on Saturday Kitchen. It’s basically an actual rock that I’ve picked from the beach myself, with a langoustine, served with seaweed, and oysters from the bay for the mayonnaise. The langoustines are as fresh as a dime, with caviar from a sustainable source in France. It’s top-quality food, but presented as finger food – the idea being that you drag the langoustine off the rock with your hands, dunking it in the mayo on the way. It’s very much about getting stuck in to some really good fresh food, and I think this is typical of my cooking and what I love. What are your future plans? Just to keep on improving in both of the restaurants. I’m always looking towards the second star. You have to keep developing, that’s the thing. You’re never too old! www.theatlantichotel.com www.markjordanatthebeach.com
Pan-roast fillets of sole with crab-crushed Jersey Royals and Sauce Grenoble “I love this dish, pictured below, as, because of the way I prepare it, it’s a real chunky piece of fish unlike the thin fillet you tend to get when you order sole. I serve it with a fish velouté and croutons.” Ingredients • 100g 3 x 450g Dover soles, skinned For the Sauce Grenoble • 100g gherkins • 100g baby capers • 1 squeeze lemon juice • 1 handful parsley, chopped For the crab-crushed Jersey Royals • 450g Jersey Royals • Vegetable oil • 50g butter • Juice of 1 lemon • 100g fresh white crab meat • Salt and pepper • 1 handful chives, chopped • To serve: Fish velouté, 10-12 caper berries, croutons and basil cress Method Dover sole Fillet the sole by running a sharp flexible knife down each side of the sole’s backbone and slowly removing the flesh from the bone using delicate strokes of the knife. Flip over the sole and do the same again for the underside. Trim the sole, removing any straggly bits. Lay one fillet of sole in front of you on a chopping board – you will notice there is a thick end and a thin end. Lay another fillet on top of the first fillet the opposite way, thick end to thin and repeat this three times – there should be in total six pieces of fillet stacked on top of each other. While the sole is stacked, skewer two fillets together with cocktail sticks, using six in total. Roll each pair over and trim the ends square and then cut in half – that will be your first two portions. Do the same with the remaining fillets. Place in the fridge to chill. Sauce Grenoble Chop the gherkins into small dice and mix with the capers. Add the lemon juice and parsley and reserve. Crab-crushed Jersey Royals Preheat the oven to 170°C. Wash and place the potatoes in a pan of salted water and slowly bring them to the boil. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain and store in the saucepan. In a large sauté pan, heat up a little oil, then add the Dover sole stacks and gently colour until golden brown on one side. Remove from the pan and place into the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place back in the pan with the oil. Add a good knob of butter and squeeze of the lemon juice, baste the butter over the sole and leave for a minute. Using a fork, crush the potatoes and add the remaining butter, lemon juice, crab meat, salt and pepper, and chives.
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To serve Place a metal ring in the centre of each serving dish and half fill with the hot potatoes, pressing them down thoroughly. Remove the metal ring and gently place a portion of sole on top of the potato. Gently twist and pull out the cocktail sticks. Heat up the sauce and spoon some over the sole. Using a hand-blender, foam the fish velouté and spoon some over the dish. Garnish with a few caper berries, the croutons and cress, and serve.