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Which of our iconic dishes have you tried?
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T O P TABLES
Our Group Executive Chef James Haywood selects the 10 dishes that make his mouth water… all of which you can find on the menus of Center Parcs restaurants
WORDS: Laura Shack
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here’s something about breathing in the fresh forest air that really works up an appetite. And if you’re feeling hungry there are some truly outstanding dishes you should try during your stay at Center Parcs, from the Fallin'-o - the-bone Pork Ribs at Huck’s American Bar & Grill to the Flaked Ham Hock Hash at Sports Café or The New Yorker stack at The Pancake House. And who better to ask for a recommendation than the man who dreamed them all up, Group Executive Chef James Haywood.
Whether he’s scouring smokehouses in the deep south of America or cooking up innovative recipes at home, James never stops thinking of new ideas for crowd-pleasing dishes. Working in the Center Parcs development kitchen, he creates menus for restaurants across the six villages.
As a child, James always dreamt of becoming a chef – he started washing up in a hotel kitchen just three days after his sixteenth birthday. Since then he’s developed his skills as a high-fl ying chef, working at Michelin-star restaurants in London, a six-star resort on Hayman Island in Australia and in pretigious establishments across the UK. On his fi rst visit to Elveden Forest 14 years ago, dad-of-two James “fell in love” with Center Parcs and decided to put down roots. Now, he says he has a story to tell about every dish on his menus. We caught up with James by the giant redwoods at Longleat Forest T
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James Haywood holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest stack of pancakes. He placed 213 pancakes on top of each other to create a 101.8cmtall stack on Pancake Day in 2016. TALL STORY
to fi nd out which meals he thinks are not to be missed. How many can you tick o ?
James Haywood’s top 10 Center Parcs dishes
1Finger-Lickin’ Chicken Wings at Huck’s American Bar & Grill “My favourite dish in the whole of Center Parcs is the chicken wings at Huck’s,” says James. “I’m very particular about the way the wings are steamed and coated with seasoning, and the amount of butter that goes into the sauce. They’re just superb.”
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2Mixed Tandoori at Rajinda Pradesh “The tandoori selection at Rajinda is fantastic,” says James. “It’s chicken tikka, lamb chop, salmon and prawns in a lovely marinade, served on a skillet of vegetables, with a naan and a coriander sauce, plus fresh lemon to bring out all the beautiful flavours.”
3Fallin’-off-the-bone Pork Ribs at Huck’s American Bar & Grill “I did a huge tour of the States to learn about smoking – the meats, cuts and service,” says James (see also box on page 24). “So this dish is very close to my heart.”
The careful preparation of this dish showcases the knowledge James picked up during his tour of America's south: the ribs are lovingly marinated, smoked, roasted and basted to give them the tangy, authentic taste of the American BBQ.
4Bacon, Avocado and Fried Free-Range Egg on Toast at Sports Café “One thing I particularly love about the Sports Café menu is the breakfast selection, especially the brunch dishes,” says James. “We serve a delicious bacon, egg and avocado on toasted crusty bread. It sounds simple but we add a lovely light tomato and pepper salsa and fresh olive oil, which really lift the flavour.”
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5The New Yorker Stack at The Pancake House “I have a lot of fun creating The Pancake House menu and it’s evolved over the years,” says James, whose pancake creations include a record-breaking stack (see opposite page). “I think my favourite is The New Yorker Stack, which is smoked bacon, American pancakes and maple syrup. It’s the best-selling dish at Center Parcs.”
6Crispy Onion Bhaji at Rajinda Pradesh If you've been put off by the offering at your local Indian restaurant, James is on your side.
“Don’t get me started on onion bhajis!” says James. “I was fed up of going out and getting a claggy mess of greasy fried onion, so I developed a recipe that uses tempura flour and gram flour to lighten the bhaji up. It’s a light, crispy onion surrounded by a nice, crunchy turmeric batter, with fresh coriander through it. And we serve it with a spiced mango dressing. It’s really very good.”
7Flaked Ham Hock Hash or Smoked Salmon Hash at Sports Café “If you’re hungry, we have two different types of
hashes in the Sports Café,” says James. “These are fried potatoes and caramelised onions,
combined with ham hock or smoked salmon and then bound with béarnaise sauce. So
you’ve got a nice rich vinegar cutting through the fat and the aftertaste of tarragon, with a freshly fried egg on top. They’re both absolutely lovely.”
A TASTE OF THE STATES To achieve the authentic American flavour of the menu at Huck’s Bar & Grill, James Haywood (pictured below) journeyed to the deep south of the USA
“When I’m looking for inspiration, I eat out a lot,” says James. “I go to loads of places, from top restaurants and hotels, to markets and street food vendors. Social media is superb too, it puts all these ideas at your fingertips.
“I could see smokehouses were becoming a trend in London and I wanted to learn how to do it properly,” says James. “So, I immersed myself in that environment.”
James travelled from New York to Kansas, where “smoking is almost a religion”. He then headed to Las Vegas, via Texas, to look at the commercial smokehouses there.
Working with a renowned consultant pitmaster (or BBQ expert, to those who don’t smoke), James said they tried lots of different wood chips and cuts of meats as part of the long process of recipe development for the restaurant's menu.
“It was quite a journey but it’s something we’re really pleased with,” says James. “We’re smoking our own meats and baking our own breads. I’m so proud of the teams, the service and standards of food we’re producing.”
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8Decorate Your Own… at The Pancake House “We have the Decorate Your Own Stack and Decorate Your Own Gingerbread Biscuit in The Pancake House. Both options are served with whipping cream, sweets and sauces. They’re a great hit with the children – and adults too,” says James.
9Chargrilled Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad at Vitalé Café Bar “There’s a lovely range of flatbreads and salads available at the Vitalé Café Bar,” says
BOOK IT There’s no need to book at The Pancake House, Sports Café or Cara's Kitchen and Bar at Longford Forest. For more information on our restaurants, visit centerparcs.co.uk/ restaurants
James. “I’m on a bit of a health kick at the moment and we do a chargrilled broccoli and cauliflower salad with toasted pine kernels that makes a beautiful accompaniment or snack.”
10 Various dishes from Dining In “Dining In is becoming really popular and we’ve recently expanded our menu for guests who want to eat in the comfort of their own lodge,” says James. “We’ve got lots of different sourdough pizzas, Asian dishes and American meals like fajitas and burgers that are all delicious.”
