Honey Nut Fruit Salad

My work station this morning.

I recently watched Gennaro Contaldo prepare beef carpaccio sat down in the sun on YouTube, and I thought to myself "What a weird way to prepare food." I'm used to the fast-paced, high pressure way of preparing food in a professional kitchen, and sitting down just doesn't enter your mind. 

We are going through an interesting time at work right now - none of the new apprentices are lasting because they are not used to the speed at which we work. However, it made me realise that I rarely savour the preparation of all the fresh and vibrant ingredients that come through our door. I questioned myself on whether I am in love with the food or with the work, so I did this ... 

As it turns out, I love both. 

The fruit: Strawberries, Raspberries, Orange and Physalis. 

The Flatbread: Wheat topped with Golden and Brown Linseed, Millet, Hemp seed and Poppy seed (as I am at home relaxing in my Crocs, I bought these from Tesco).

The dressing: Orange Blossom Honey and Toasted Almonds. 

Top with some fresh cream, orange and lime zest and pour a glass of white wine in the sun! 

Enjoy.  

Cheeky Rhubarb Crumble

A small adaption - Rhubarb and Strawberry (Raymond Blanc)

I have recently had a small break from my blog (after only a month of filling it ... I'm a rubbish blogger!) because we have become prematurely busy at work this year. I'm not complaining - the more I have to cook for strangers, the better. 

However, my style is already changing and I'm looking forward to sharing my new culinary experiences with you. 

In the past month I have realised the importance of people liking how your food tastes as apposed to how it looks. My head chef creates the tastiest plates of food you will ever eat, and when it's on the plate it looks classical and wholesome. Nobody can complain and everybody will enjoy it. That is what my summer is going to be about. 

So let's begin! 

This is a Rhubarb Crumble ... It is very unlike a traditional English crumble as the rhubarb hasn't steamed underneath a thick, stodgy layer of crumble for ages and it is not heavy. 

To make the crumble disks, get your mother's crumble recipe (but then add orange zest and fresh vanilla seeds) and fill round cookie cutters 1cm thick with the mixture on a baking tray. Whack it in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Keep checking it.

To make the rhubarb "filling", top and tail your fresh rhubarb and clean the petioles thoroughly under cold running water. Cut them into inch-long dices and throw them into a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add a cup or so of sugar (granulated is fine, it all dissolves in the end) and then add a dash of Vermouth Bianco. Cover with a lid and allow to sweat until the rhubarb is tender throughout (we're not making a compote, so don't over-cook the rhubarb). After the rhubarb is cooked there will be a lot of excess water in the pan. Remove the lid and allow to evaporate until you get a nice, syrupy liquid. Keep tasting it - if you think it needs more Vermouth, add more Vermouth.

Stir in some fresh coriander (this is optional, but I think it's fantastic) and serve in a bowl with a crumble disk on top. The crumble disk is likely to break in the process, but who cares? It will taste just as delicious. 

Keep at it.

14 months difference. It's not where you begin, it's where you end up that matters.  

Keep at it :)

Taste. Taste. Taste.

This is a pistachio parfait with a bitter chocolate mousse and honey cream on a bed of lavender jelly. 

The pistachio, coconut and lavender sponge makes this dish look incredibly detailed. Otherwise it's just three components on a plate. The honey is seasoned with freshly ground black pepper - alongside the aromatic lavender, this gives it an interesting kick that is not generally found in desserts. 

Considering I have recently had a masterclass in handcrafted luxury chocolates, there is not an awful lot of chocolate skill on display here. However, the flavour combinations that I was introduced to inspired me to experiment and apply to my own style of cooking. Finding a balance between strong flavours is not easy, especially when the flavours are distributed across a few different components on the plate. There was a lot of tasting involved here! Taste. Taste. Taste. That's all my head chef used to tell me when I began. I wouldn't let a sausage out of the kitchen without having tested the batch first nowadays.

The parfait is my favourite component here - mainly because of it's texture. It's basically an ice cream, but it is the creamiest ice cream you will ever taste. The best thing about it is when it approaches room temperature, it doesn't melt ... Instead it holds its shape and becomes a mousse. I can't even tell you the recipe because Claire Lara, Masterchef the Professionals winner 2010, taught me how to make it and I am not at liberty to share the secrets! Consider it the catering Magic Circle. 

With regards to the design - what can I say? I like it and I don't care if the plate looks empty. I have every confidence that it will wow the consumer via flavour alone. 

Taste. Taste. Taste. 

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Once you find your recipe (there are hundreds of ways to make chocolate cakes - everybody has their favourite) you can simply enjoy making it look literally irresistible. 

I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my Head Chef, Ellis Barrie, just messing about with chocolate. Next week I will be travelling to Cumbria to learn how to use chocolate properly ... Things are about to get serious. 

Peach Melba - by Richard Holt

The smallest thing can inspire me. A little message or a postcard from my girlfriend saying she can't wait to see me can put me on top of the world, or even a Justin Timberlake track that I can't get out of my head (yes, I actually think his 20/20 Experience album rocks). 

I recently bought a load of books on extremely advanced desserts, and almost every single dessert had a "pulled sugar garnish". I researched how to make it, and I knew I could not become an expert over night. At the time, I was completely worn out from working insane hours at work, and I felt like I was going to have a break down any minute, so I booked a night in a hotel in Shrewsbury and took my books with me. Needless to say, I did in fact become an expert on pulling sugar over night. 

The night I came back, I stopped off at Tesco and did some shopping, came home and made my interpretation of Escoffier's Peach Melba. Filled with vanilla ice cream and garnished with edible petals, raspberry powder and pulled sugar - seems so simple. 

The colour of the pulled sugar is inspired by my girlfriend's dress ... She has a dress that I will still be dreaming about when I'm in my 70's. 

Pulling sugar is actually quite simple, but very difficult to get right (it's scorching hot, too). 

I am extremely lucky to be working with Marc Lara, Claire Lara's husband at the moment - courtesy of my shit-hot head chef, Ellis Barrie. Claire Lara, for those of you who don't recognise her name, won Masterchef the Professionals back in 2010, and she has promised to teach me a thing or two on how to perfect this technique. Stay tuned for my blog about this subject. 

Strawberry Panna Cotta II

This was made on the same day ... I won't bother writing too much because this is just too simple. 

Pour jelly into the glasses and leave to set on an angle in the fridge. Follow my basic recipe for a panna cotta and simply add vanilla essence to taste. Make sure the jelly is fully set before adding the panna cotta liquid, and pour very VERY gently. 

Inspired by the work of my favourite artist of all time - Ali Cavanaugh.