Take 3 t he r ec i p e f o r a p e r f ec t d i nne r pa r t y
a b e sp o k e h o t e l s p u b l i c at i o n
Take 3 t he r ec i p e f o r a p e r f ec t d i nne r pa r t y
a b e sp o k e h o t e l s p u b l i c at i o n
Take 3 t he r ec i p e f o r a p e r f ec t d i nne r pa r t y
a b e sp o k e h o t e l s p u b l i c at i o n
93
martin blunos
94
martin blunos
What inspired you to join the profession? This has changed a bit over the years. As a wide-eyed youngster in kitchens it was the other senior chefs, watching how they put elements together to create dishes and thinking “I want to do that!” Now I’m older I find I’m inspired by day-to-day life itself. It’s almost as if the blinkers have come off and the narrow view of everything has been opened up. What do you enjoy most about the job? In terms of the actual work, I’d say my enjoyment comes from each day being different. Of course there are the routines that get addressed when you start in the morning, but I can honestly say that every day is unique. The other thing that rocks my world is happy customers. The power to make someone smile and feel content for the couple or so hours they’re dining with you, to take them away from all their woes, is truly magical! What is your signature dish? I would argue a good cook can hope to come up with five unique signature dishes in their career. After all, if you think about it, ingredients have been around forever and a day, so is there really anything new? Perhaps going down the chemical path, but really that has just changed what could be done with ingredients, as opposed to inventing new ones. So you could say foods and ingredients are much like musical notes – it’s less a case of what we put in, but rather what we leave out that make the dish/song. That and a drizzle of talent, which never hurts!
93
martin blunos
94
martin blunos
What inspired you to join the profession? This has changed a bit over the years. As a wide-eyed youngster in kitchens it was the other senior chefs, watching how they put elements together to create dishes and thinking “I want to do that!” Now I’m older I find I’m inspired by day-to-day life itself. It’s almost as if the blinkers have come off and the narrow view of everything has been opened up. What do you enjoy most about the job? In terms of the actual work, I’d say my enjoyment comes from each day being different. Of course there are the routines that get addressed when you start in the morning, but I can honestly say that every day is unique. The other thing that rocks my world is happy customers. The power to make someone smile and feel content for the couple or so hours they’re dining with you, to take them away from all their woes, is truly magical! What is your signature dish? I would argue a good cook can hope to come up with five unique signature dishes in their career. After all, if you think about it, ingredients have been around forever and a day, so is there really anything new? Perhaps going down the chemical path, but really that has just changed what could be done with ingredients, as opposed to inventing new ones. So you could say foods and ingredients are much like musical notes – it’s less a case of what we put in, but rather what we leave out that make the dish/song. That and a drizzle of talent, which never hurts!
125
storrs hall
cumbria
126
125
storrs hall
cumbria
126
117
storrs Hall
storrs hall windermere, cumbria head chef: Ross Marshall What inspired you to join the profession? I am a third generation chef, as my grandfather and mother were both head chefs, so I didn’t really have much choice! When I became a chef at 16 I quickly fell in love with the buzz and atmosphere of the kitchen, and it all felt very natural to me. What do you enjoy most about the job? I love the passion and drive of the team around me. I am constantly craving new ideas, techniques and great produce, and am fortune enough to have an abundant supply of each. What is your signature dish? I don’t feel that I have a signature dish, as I am always looking to develop what we do and push it to the next level. However, I do have some favourite produce that often features on my menus such as grouse, langoustines and of course everyone’s favourite the British strawberry! Have any dishes ever been invented at your hotel? I try to never repeat dishes as I love to push myself and the team to develop new ideas and new recipes. We tend to only bring menu items back as a special request. Who would your ideal dinner party guests be? My ideal guest list would be my family. My wife and our two young children all love food, and I spend plenty of my free time teaching them about great food and eating well.
cumbria
118
117
storrs Hall
storrs hall windermere, cumbria head chef: Ross Marshall What inspired you to join the profession? I am a third generation chef, as my grandfather and mother were both head chefs, so I didn’t really have much choice! When I became a chef at 16 I quickly fell in love with the buzz and atmosphere of the kitchen, and it all felt very natural to me. What do you enjoy most about the job? I love the passion and drive of the team around me. I am constantly craving new ideas, techniques and great produce, and am fortune enough to have an abundant supply of each. What is your signature dish? I don’t feel that I have a signature dish, as I am always looking to develop what we do and push it to the next level. However, I do have some favourite produce that often features on my menus such as grouse, langoustines and of course everyone’s favourite the British strawberry! Have any dishes ever been invented at your hotel? I try to never repeat dishes as I love to push myself and the team to develop new ideas and new recipes. We tend to only bring menu items back as a special request. Who would your ideal dinner party guests be? My ideal guest list would be my family. My wife and our two young children all love food, and I spend plenty of my free time teaching them about great food and eating well.
cumbria
118
The power to make someone smile and feel content for the couple or so hours they’re dining with you... is truly magical! Ma rti n blu nos
The power to make someone smile and feel content for the couple or so hours they’re dining with you... is truly magical! Ma rti n blu nos
87
the lugger
cornwall
88
87
the lugger
cornwall
88
91 | dessert
the lugger
Ingredients Serves 6
Lemon Tart with blackberry granita
Tart Filling 9 whole eggs 370g caster sugar 425ml double cream, lightly whipped Zest and juice of 6 lemons
Mix the caster sugar and eggs for the filling. Add the lemon zest and juices and fold in the lightly whipped cream. Pour the mix into a metal container and rest overnight.
Sweet Pastry 240g plain flour 120g butter - unsalted 60g icing sugar 1 whole egg Blackberry Granita 300g black berries 60g sugar 240g soft blackberries, to serve
For the granita, boil the sugar with 285ml of water. Pour this over the blackberries and allow to cool, then crush and place in the freezer overnight, remembering to crush again before serving. To make the sweet pastry, sieve the flour, then place it with the butter and icing sugar in a food blender and blitz to a fine breadcrumb. Add the egg to the blender, adding a splash of cold water if necessary, and mix together before turning out onto cling film and chilling in the fridge until firm. Once firm, roll out, line, and blind bake in either a large flan or tart ring or smaller individual rings. Brush the pastry with egg yolk and bake again until the egg has set and the pastry is waterproof. Pass the filling mix through a fine sieve to remove any debris and pour on top of the tart cases, filling as deeply as possible. Bake at 130ËšC for around 45 minutes and then leave to chill. Glaze each portion with caster sugar and a blowtorch before serving.
92
91 | dessert
the lugger
Ingredients Serves 6
Lemon Tart with blackberry granita
Tart Filling 9 whole eggs 370g caster sugar 425ml double cream, lightly whipped Zest and juice of 6 lemons
Mix the caster sugar and eggs for the filling. Add the lemon zest and juices and fold in the lightly whipped cream. Pour the mix into a metal container and rest overnight.
Sweet Pastry 240g plain flour 120g butter - unsalted 60g icing sugar 1 whole egg Blackberry Granita 300g black berries 60g sugar 240g soft blackberries, to serve
For the granita, boil the sugar with 285ml of water. Pour this over the blackberries and allow to cool, then crush and place in the freezer overnight, remembering to crush again before serving. To make the sweet pastry, sieve the flour, then place it with the butter and icing sugar in a food blender and blitz to a fine breadcrumb. Add the egg to the blender, adding a splash of cold water if necessary, and mix together before turning out onto cling film and chilling in the fridge until firm. Once firm, roll out, line, and blind bake in either a large flan or tart ring or smaller individual rings. Brush the pastry with egg yolk and bake again until the egg has set and the pastry is waterproof. Pass the filling mix through a fine sieve to remove any debris and pour on top of the tart cases, filling as deeply as possible. Bake at 130ËšC for around 45 minutes and then leave to chill. Glaze each portion with caster sugar and a blowtorch before serving.
92
67
The Chester Grosvenor
cheshire
68
the chester grosvenor chester, cheshire head chef: Simon Radley What inspired you to join the profession? After an initial foray into all things front of house, it soon became clear that I had neither the patience nor the ability to be subservient for long periods. At this time I was always looking to see what the chefs were up to, and on my return from France as a waiter signed up immediately in the kitchens of a North West hotel. What do you enjoy most about the job? The opportunity to be creative on a daily basis is a privilege in life. So many jobs offer no freedom to put your stamp on things and require very little or no imagination. What is your signature dish? I wouldn’t say we had signature dishes as such, although French classics within La Brasserie come back every year and you never get bored of those. Have any dishes ever been invented at your hotel? Innovation takes many forms, whether it be with modern technique and flavour profiles or revisiting tried and tested matches and contemporary presentation. We are fortunate to have the freedom within the hotel and two restaurants with varying food styles in which to be creative. Can chefs be said to truly invent food? I’m not so sure...
67
The Chester Grosvenor
cheshire
68
the chester grosvenor chester, cheshire head chef: Simon Radley What inspired you to join the profession? After an initial foray into all things front of house, it soon became clear that I had neither the patience nor the ability to be subservient for long periods. At this time I was always looking to see what the chefs were up to, and on my return from France as a waiter signed up immediately in the kitchens of a North West hotel. What do you enjoy most about the job? The opportunity to be creative on a daily basis is a privilege in life. So many jobs offer no freedom to put your stamp on things and require very little or no imagination. What is your signature dish? I wouldn’t say we had signature dishes as such, although French classics within La Brasserie come back every year and you never get bored of those. Have any dishes ever been invented at your hotel? Innovation takes many forms, whether it be with modern technique and flavour profiles or revisiting tried and tested matches and contemporary presentation. We are fortunate to have the freedom within the hotel and two restaurants with varying food styles in which to be creative. Can chefs be said to truly invent food? I’m not so sure...
149
the bull inn
oxfordshire
150
149
the bull inn
oxfordshire
150
165
the talbot
the talbot ripley, surrey head chef: Paul Turner What inspired you to join the profession? From a very young age I always wanted to become a chef. The main inspiration came from helping my mum in the kitchen, cooking, baking and generally being creative. What do you enjoy most about the job? The most satisfying aspect of the job is hearing when the customers enjoy your food. A lot of unseen time and effort goes into what we do, so to hear positive feedback is always hugely rewarding. What is your signature dish? I don’t have a signature dish as such, but I like to think I have a signature style. I prefer simple food with minimal ingredients prepared to a high standard. I also enjoy the challenge of taking classic dishes and tweaking them to become more modern. Have any dishes ever been invented at your hotel? We have created the HMS Victory Burger at The Talbot, named after Lord Nelson’s ship. It consists of prime beef, sticky ham hock and fresh salad all stacked up in a toasted brioche bun. In other words, an original twist on a perennial classic! Who would your ideal dinner party guests be? Muhammad Ali, Rik Mayall, and Bobby Moore. A well behaved crowd, in other words!
surrey
166
165
the talbot
the talbot ripley, surrey head chef: Paul Turner What inspired you to join the profession? From a very young age I always wanted to become a chef. The main inspiration came from helping my mum in the kitchen, cooking, baking and generally being creative. What do you enjoy most about the job? The most satisfying aspect of the job is hearing when the customers enjoy your food. A lot of unseen time and effort goes into what we do, so to hear positive feedback is always hugely rewarding. What is your signature dish? I don’t have a signature dish as such, but I like to think I have a signature style. I prefer simple food with minimal ingredients prepared to a high standard. I also enjoy the challenge of taking classic dishes and tweaking them to become more modern. Have any dishes ever been invented at your hotel? We have created the HMS Victory Burger at The Talbot, named after Lord Nelson’s ship. It consists of prime beef, sticky ham hock and fresh salad all stacked up in a toasted brioche bun. In other words, an original twist on a perennial classic! Who would your ideal dinner party guests be? Muhammad Ali, Rik Mayall, and Bobby Moore. A well behaved crowd, in other words!
surrey
166
Recipes are just guidelines... have fun and don’t take it (or yourself ) too seriously. th e urban rajah
Recipes are just guidelines... have fun and don’t take it (or yourself ) too seriously. th e urban rajah