A GLASS APART

Laurent

Faure, owner

Anatomy Of A Dish Venison Steak On Mushrooms With Fruits Of The Season

Jurek Wasio, head chef of Japanese Omakase restaurant Mayha, on his signature dish

of Le Vieux

Comptoir,

On How Global Warming Is Influencing The Production Of A New Kind Of Champagne

Interview: Viel Richardson

The last few years have seen a real boom in no-sugar champagne – a wine known as ‘zero dosage’ champagne. Champagne is essentially wine with bubbles, and in order to create those bubbles, you need very acidic juice. This means that historically champagne was made with very acidic grapes. While this acidity is a key element in both making the wine and balancing the flavours, it is not the most enjoyable sensation for the palate. So traditionally during the winemaking process, producers added what is called ‘liqueur de dosage’, a mix of sugar and wine, to increase the sweetness and mask some of the wine’s acidity.

Global warming is having a major impact on the wine world and in the case of champagne, it is driving this boom in zero dosage wines. Warmer summer temperatures mean growers can produce better grapes with higher levels of natural sugar. Truly gifted winemakers are now able to really explore the grapes’ possibilities and make some fantastic champagnes without adding any extra sugar.

After two centuries, we have the possibility to taste a ‘true’ champagne – a drink where only the taste of the grapes comes through in the wines. These are very expressive wines, because you have the real flavour both of the terroir and the grapes. The chardonnay is a real chardonnay flavour and the pinot is a real pinot. As a rule, these wines are drier than other champagnes, with the mineral flavours coming more to the fore. The thing to remember is that the added sugar was covering different flavours and nuances in the wine, some of which are very pleasurable and which you are now tasting for the first time. Another benefit is that these champagnes are less calorific as there is no added sugar. However, the sugar was also masking some not-so-pleasant flavours, and it takes great skill from the winemaker for these not to be apparent once you remove that sweetening. This is why only really gifted winemakers, from both global names and small producers, make this style of champagne. For example, we sell some from a producer called Ayala, whose wonderful Brut Nature zero dosage champagne sells at a very reasonable price. I have found that once they have tried these wines, very few customers go back to the traditional style.

LE VIEUX COMPTOIR

26-28 Moxon Street, W1U 4EU levieuxcomptoir.co.uk

In a nutshell

This dish represents the life of the animal. Everything else on the plate is from the environment in which the deer lives: the wild mushrooms, the forest fruits, even the kinome leaf, which is an edible leaf from Japan and reminds me of the ferns which grow in the forest.

The inspiration

This dish reminds me of my childhood. I was born in Warsaw, but I spent my childhood in the countryside. When I was young, my dad took me hunting and skiing; I am a boy from the woods. My grandfather, father and uncle all hunted. I don’t have time now, because I’m always abroad and working a lot, but I have this dish, and it connects me to the family’s hunting traditions.

The purpose

Thirteen years ago, I started working in a Japanese restaurant in Warsaw – purely by chance. It turned out I loved cooking, and they believed in me, and that’s why I am here. This dish brings together Japan and Warsaw. In the countryside, in the mountains in Japan, there is a long tradition of chargrilling wild animals. I like the connection between the cultures.

The technique

The venison is taken out of the fridge an hour before service to come up to room temperature. We cook it in a skillet with a bit of butter and some Maldon salt for one minute and 15 seconds on each side, then cut it into three pieces and assemble them on the plate with a bit of salt and black pepper. The mushrooms are sauteed in butter and miso. They aren’t Japanese mushrooms – they’re British hen of the woods – but the mushrooms here are just as good.

The secret

You need a little bit of knowledge about the environment and the nature of this animal, and where it lives. Then you need passion for food, and some love. You know those dishes you cook at a home, the ones you love so much that you know everything off by heart? For me, this is that dish. That’s what makes it good.

MAYHA

43 Chiltern Street, W1U 6LS mayhalondon.com