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Soho House Food Magazine
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christmas 2010
EATING perfect Christmas recipes WORKING cooking in the community PLAYING hunting shooting and fishing
a taste... 4 DIGEST THIS
News from the food world: ‘taches for charity, the launch of our website, cooking with kids and Miami Beach House opens
winter 2010
Welcome to the winter 2010 edition of the Soho House food magazine – a food magazine for chefs and people who love to eat. This magazine celebrates the food philosophy of all the Soho House Group restaurants worldwide: Soho House New York, Babington House in Somerset, Soho House West Hollywood, Soho Beach House Miami, Soho House Berlin and Cecconi’s in LA, as well as all the London sites: Pizza East, Cecconi’s, Dean Street Town House, Shoreditch House, The Electric, Cafe Boheme, BKB, High Road House Chiswick, Hoxton Grill and Soho House. This issue we’ve come over all Christmassy, with chefs from around the world sharing their festive memories of home, plus great recipes for roasts and stuffings. Chefs from across the group have been on all sorts of food-finding missions, so catch up here with what they’ve been up to and on all the news and openings in the Soho House Group.
Tuck in!
8 10
WHAT I KNOW Executive chef of the new Soho Beach House Miami on saving for a Vespa and doing triathlons
12
GIVE AND TAKE Pizza East chefs spend a day teaching young people from the Jamie Oliver Foundation
CARP IN THE BATH?!
ate back Chefs from around the world look back on what they roof goose home at Christmas, plus guest chef Tim Hughes’ foolp
18 20 26 28 30 31
STUFF YOU!!
Members learn to make perfect Christmas stuffings
ARMED AND SLIGHTLY DANGEROUS Chefs on the hunt...for anything edible
GOT DOUGH?
t The importance of good dough, and how to get it righ
DOWN AND OUT IN...SOHO
A late night guide to Soho, by the chefs who know it best
CHEESED OFF A wonderful rarebit from member Guy Williams
Editor Rebecca Seal Design and Production Dominic Salmon ardino, Photos on pages 18&24 Alessandro Zamb pages 4&10-11 Dai Williams
ylan Murray, Jessica Hopkins, thanks to Dan Flower, Kat Hartigan, D omas Lennard, Julia Taylor-Brown, Eliot Sandiford, Caroline Boucher, Th anda Middlebrooks, Jon Pollard, Matthew Armistead, Ronnie Bonetti, Am enlees, Paul Gerard, e r G t t Kelly Taylor, Kirsten Stoner, Ma niele Pampagnin, Maurilio a D , u a e n r u o D e r Shelley Armistead, Pier Dave Green Molteni, Alan Bird, Andrea Cavaliere,
www.sohohouse.com
CHRISTMAS PRESENT
Seasonal events for members worldwide
little wonders
November saw the launch of Little Cookhouse, a way for chefs to give some of their culinary expertise to small, hungry people. In LA, Cecconi’s chef Andrea Cavaliere and his team have been working with a local school in Melrose, looking at ways for them to prepare healthy lunches for kids and also setting up a herb garden. Cecconi’s then purchases the produce and with any luck, next year the school will be able to invest in a bigger vegetable garden with their profits. In London, children from a school in Islington came to Pizza East (left) for a day of pizza making, even getting kitted out in miniature whites. Things got messy and the kids absolutely loved their experience while learning about real food in the process.
NIBBLES web porn! food news from around the world
*
C O O K H O U S E 4
Cookhouse is now online – you can find back issues of the magazine, chef profiles and interviews, info on the restaurants worldwide, job opportunities, recipes and food news all at
www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse
*food porn obviously
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Hair-suits you sir! The chefs at High Road House, the Electric and Pizza East went all out for “Movember”, ditching their razors and growing some interesting facial décor to raise funds for and awareness of men’s health issues. In the UK the bulk of the money raised goes towards fighting prostate cancer and worldwide the charity supports a variety of health campaigns. Check out the ‘taches on this lot! (You can still donate at www.uk.movemberfoundation.com)
Chefs from High Road House in Chiswick with their furry friends!
star quality
Each issue of Cookhouse likes to reward the chefs who’ve really made a mark on the Soho House Group by giving them a little taste of stardom. Winter’s rising stars are:
Gavin Davis at Babington House
ing holiday Gavin always goes beyond the call of duty. Whether it’s cancelling to work at the Abergavenny food festival or growing a Mo [moustache] for Movember!
Tony Lemos at Soho House New York
Hailing from Corona, Queens, the newest member of the New York gang is a true soldier. He works fast and clean, always tasting his food. With his face ten inches above the cutting board, and the focus of a prize fighter, you know this guy is not going down!
Ed Painter at Pizza East
In the year Ed has worked at Pizza East he has moved from a young pup to a confident strong reliable chef. He constantly strives to learn new skills and never fails to impress with his calm, focused demeanour; in short Ed is a good Egg!
C O O K H O U S E 5
NIBBLES
tucking in on tour Next month sees the launch of the Cookhouse Tour, when selected chefs from across the group head off to spend a year in different Soho House Group kitchens around the world: four London-based chefs leave for the US, where they will spend six months on the East Coast and six months on the West Coast. How However, they are not the first to move around the group – many of the LA, Miami and New York staffers have spent time in the Brit British sites. Here, we catch up with some of the chefs who headed over to Germany earlier this year to help open up Soho House Berlin.
“ I fancied a new experience, and I got one.” Guiessepe Lo Iudice is a junior sous chef and previously worked at Cecconi’s Mayfair. “A bunch of us moved to Berlin together in April as a kind of task force, to set up the restaurant and I liked it so much I decided to stay permanently. It makes you proud; we helped to build this – there was nothing here when we started. It’s been a great experience. Salvatore Merola moved over to be senior chef Ber de partie two months ago. “I’m new! I like Berlin a lot. I’d been with the company two years - I fancied a new experience and I got one.” Gloria Ughi (Salvatore’s girlfriend) came to Berlin a month ago. “I think Berlin is lovely ex but I haven’t had that much of a chance to explore! I’m a pastry chef.” Lukasz Solowiey is Polish. “For me it’s been cook fantastic. It’s a whole different way of cooking completely different food. It’s been great.”
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welcome to miami A big party was thrown to celebrate the recent opening of Soho Beach House and Cecconi’s in Miami, to which nearby chefs and the staff of neighbouring hotels were invited as well as influential locals. A delicious tasting menu combined some of the Soho House Group’s signature dishes which were served as appetisers. However, halfway through the meal guests were treated to a risotto-off, where chefs Daniele Pampagnin from London and Berlin, Andrea Cavaliere from LA and Miami, and Sergio Sigala, Miami’s new executive chef, got stuck in to some seriously competitive rice cooking. Diners voted on their favourites – and Cavaliere won, much to the disgust of the other two chefs! “Basically there was no competition,” grins Cavaliere. “I picked the best recipe – mushroom risotto with with home-made sausage and robiola cheese. I couldn’t lose. Of course I do also have the best technique...” The whole idea of the event was also to give Miami a taste of the Cecconi’s experience, so the general managers of the Cecconi’s LA, Marino Monferrato, Miami, Lorenzo Mion and London, Giacomo Maccioni, were there as well (right). They This month marks the start of Soho House’s involvement with also had a competition – front-of-house style - it just the Sustainable Restaurant Association, which aims to help had to be a Dover-sole filleting competition. Everyone restaurants make a few simple changes to the way they run got a bit confused, not being sure whether it was timing in order to be more environmentally friendly, and ensure or flair they were being judged on. Consequently Maccioni that staff are treated as well as possible. Their ideas on won on speed, but Monferrato got the gong in the end for andn.seasonal reflect our ‘farm to fork’ style hislocal presentatio But it was asourcing very close call!
and they’ve helped UK restaurants reduce energy usage, develop kitchen and front-of-house apprenticeship schemes and source ethical produce, including higher welfare meat and poultry. “Where Soho House leads, others follow and we’re proud to welcome their venues as our newest members”, says Simon Heppner, Managing Director of the SRA.
“I couldn’t I course I ...Of c ose lIf you want to find out more, the ra.org. do also have t technique...” best t
visit www.thes-
C O O K H O U S E 7
starters
Sergio Sigala in the kitchen
what i know Sergio Sigala, executive chef Soho Beach House Miami It wasn’t originally a love of food that got me into cooking; it was just by chance that I found my profession. When I was 13 I really wanted a Vespa but my family couldn’t afford to buy me one, so the only way I could get one was to work. I started working in a kitchen washing dishes and worked for three months straight with only one Saturday off, but I got my Vespa.
BEING AROUND THE CHEFS MADE ME THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO DO WITH MY LIFE. I started to notice that my mother and grandmother were really good cooks so I began to study them. They taught me to use the ingredients you find in your garden, simple produce that everyone in my town had access to. Basically, the simplicity of food is the best thing in your life; if you have a good product, something that you can grow in your garden, then you can make a great meal.
“I started working in a kitchen washing dishes and WORKED FOR THREE MONTHS STRAIGHT with only one Saturday off, but I got my Vespa.”
Every time I see something new, especially a salad or vegetable, I get ideas and start to try cooking things in different ways. But there’s something I won’t ever alter, and that’s olive oil: it’s the one thing I can’t live without in the kitchen. Working with food is great because when you want to impress a woman you can show off a bit. And to be honest, that’s how I wooed my wife. I took her to the restaurant where I worked, we had dinner and that was it! I wasn’t cooking that night, but the first meal I cooked for her was in winter; a risotto with white truffle, which went down very well… The best thing about being a chef is the challenge; day you have to make it happen and find something the people, the food and the customers all together really the best thing. Plus I’m very competitive so challenge every day.
that every single new to do. Handling is exciting and I like to have a new
To escape from the kitchen I run. I run the Miami marathon every year in January and so far I’ve done six... My competitiveness isn’t only in the kitchen! A few years ago my biggest fear was swimming in open water, so I took a few classes and I became a certified scuba diver. I also started to train for triathlons. The first stage of the race is swimming so for the first few races I was in a panic, but now I’m doing good. Every day you are learning new things with this job. Everyone working in the kitchen can teach you something and I like to learn as much as I can from all the cooks working with me. I believe I still have a long way to go before I consider myself done.
C O O K H O U S E 8
D SOUND? GOO www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse
to find out more about how you could become part of the Soho House Group team contact cookhouse@sohohouse.com
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C O O K H O U S E 9
give and take
pizza the action
After a brief Cookhouse intro they were split into groups so that they could get a full PE experience. This included tasting charcuterie and cheeses and learning about how to put together a cheeseboard; they got to try gorgonzola, caprino fresco, robiola and pecorino, as well as speck, copa, bresaola and mortadella.
“The Jamie Oliver Foundation gives unemployed young people the chance to start training as chefs, learning about food both in kitchens and classrooms. classrooms.”
C O O K H O U S E 1 0
The questions came thick and fast when the Pizza East chefs opened their doors to 11 of the Jamie Oliver Foundation’s students. Three months into their yearlong apprenticeship, they were full of queries, ready to taste and try out everything they could. The Pizza East chefs, along with food and beverage director Dylan Murray, executive chef Alan Bird and CEO Nick Jones, meanwhile, were keen to share as much of their vast knowledge as possible in an afternoon. (The Jamie Oliver Foundation gives unemployed young people the chance to train as chefs, learning about food both in kitchens and classrooms.)
Next up, a lesson in dough and how to handle it – from the mixing and shaping stage, to how to get a perfectly thin base and a just-right chunky crust. Finally they got the chance to make up their own toppings. The resulting pizzas were judged by the PE chefs and the winning pizza, a rocket and parmesan margarita, won its inventor Charlie a two-day stage at Babington House in Somerset, working in the kitchens with accomodation in the hotel. The rest got devoured as part of supper for the students – they also got to try out several of the other signature dishes and there were calls for more chicken livers with polenta as well as cuttlefish...Everyone went home very full – although not until group head chef Alan Bird had given them a tour of C Shoreditch House, rooftop swimming pool O O and all, which is above Pizza East and rafters. K was, as ever, packed to the
get ed to find out more about how you could become v part of the Soho House Group team invol www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse
contact cookhouse@sohohouse.com
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H O U S E 1 1
Christmas past
SOHO HOUSE GROUP’S CHEFS ARE FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD.
HERE, THEY SHARE SOME MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS BACK HOME.
Lukasz Kus, senior sous chef, High Road House, Chiswick
C O O K H O U S E 1 2
it was “I grew up in the mountains of southern Poland and would we tmas Chris Every r. very, very cold during the winte — have snow up to our necks and it would be -20ºC table -25ºC. Traditionally you always have 12 dishes on the sent on 24 December (which is the big day for us), to repre se becau , bowls big the Apostles, and everything would be in with ht it is also about sharing. There would always be borsc ol. dumplings, meats and lots of sweet things – but no alcoh lots with role casse big a We almost always had carp baked in the buy would of vegetables and tomatoes. Usually, my mother We kids carp the day before, alive, and keep it in the bath. usually it, kill to had ne would play with it and then someo t wasn’ it my mother, and then explain, every year, why sed to around for us to play with any more. We weren’t suppo , but eat until the first star appeared in the sky that night hing, somet steal we would often run into the kitchen and day because my mother would have been cooking since the we would before and we were little and hungry! At midnight h all go to Mass together, and the churc would be freezing – it was such a big space to heat. It was always a magical day – not like now, when it’s all about presents. In that small town up there in the mountains it was very spiritual, and all about being with your family.”
“Usually, my mother would buy the carp the day before, alive, and keep it in the bath.”
Tim Fuller, sous chef, Pizza East, London
“I’m from Sydney wher e, obviously, Christmas is a lot wa rmer than here. I’ve been in the UK three years and I’m still wa iting for my first white Christ mas! In my family we didn’t have masses of traditional things to eat – it was more about having a big feed and hanging out together , so we’d just stick some prawns an d some meat on a barbecue. There are so many different nationalit ies there that the food can vary qu ite a bit. My family is pretty food ie and they love to cook and shar e recipes. They’d compete a bit for bragging rights, each trying to bring something new or bett er to the table. One year, when I was older, I got given a barbecue for Christmas and got 10 mates roun d – we had seven courses and it went on until about 3am. That was pretty awes ome.”
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“They’d compete a bit for bragging rights, each trying to bring something new or better to the table.”
C O O K H O U S E 1 3
memory lane Kyle Boyce, senior sous chef, Soho House, London you
don’t “December is the height of summer in Cape Town, so would it h thoug Even really want a roast on Christmas Day. ts, there only be the four of us, me, my brother and my paren e, even was always too much food and my mum always made trifl head chef though no-one would eat it. My brother (who is the ng the getti in ved at High Road House) and I were always invol didn’t see food ready – it was a given that we would help and be chefs it as a chore. We grew up cooking and both wanted to ng, worki ed start from an early age – later, when we’d both a us our parents actually did more of the cooking, to give tmas Day break. I do miss my family. We’d get up early on Chris her. toget en kitch the in and spend the whole day hanging out out head to I would rather have a hot Christmas and be able to the beach or the pool after lunch!”
“I would rather have a hot Christmas and be able to head out to the beach or the pool after lunch!”
C O O K H O U S E 1 4
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“At about 11 o’clock we were allowed a glass of sherry (after I was 12, anyway)” James Jesty, senior sous chef, Babington House, Somerset
“At the moment I have to work at Christmas, but I’m sure that the next time I get to go back home, it will be identical to how I remember it growing up in Dorset. There was a particular smell around the house from where my mum would hang cinnamon and oranges, and the pine of the tree – you just knew it was Christmas. We would wake up early and have presents, and my mum would put the turkey in at about 8am. Then we’d have crumpets and cups of tea for breakfast. At about 11 o’clock we were allowed a glass of sherry (after I was 12, anyway). Then we’d have lunch: my mum always bought a salmon terrine with prawns on top from Marks and Spencer and then we had turkey and all the trimmings. We didn’t have Christmas pudding in our house, instead we had my mum’s chocolate cream pudding and sticky toffee pudding. I always went for the sticky toffee with a nice bit of custard. The afternoon would be spent opening presents and eating through a tin of chocolates and then in the evening my mum would serve baked ham, cheese and biscuits and chutneys and pickles that she’d been hoarding since the summer. Lovely.”
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C O O K H O U S E 1 5
starters GUEST CHEF Tim Hughes is chef director of Caprice Holdings, Soho House Group’s sister company. Here are two of his favourite Christmas recipes.
Braised goose in red wine with quince serves 4-6 Goose breasts, like a turkey’s, can dry out before the legs are cooked. By braising it you can avoid any tough or dry cuts. You can cook it up to three days in advance and reheat on the day, adding the quince when you serve. Quince is a forgotten fruit, although you should be able to find it in specialist greengrocers and some delis.
1 good quality goose, weighing 3-3.5kg / 6-7 lb salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 quince, peeled and cored and cooked as below ½ stick of cinnamon 4 cloves 400g / 2 ½ cups caster sugar for the sauce: 8 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed 100g / 3 ½ oz butter 5 tablespoon flour 1 tablespoon tomato puree bottle of red wine 2 litre / 2 quarts hot chicken stock, or a good quality cube will do few sprigs of thyme 1 bay leaf
Put the quince in a pan with the cinnamon, cloves and sugar, bring to the boil and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Leave them in the liquid to cool. Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F/gas mark 7. With a heavy chopping knife, cut the goose in half (or get your butcher to do it). Cut off the parson’s nose and trim away any excess fat and the backbone where there is no meat. Remove the legs and cut in half. Cut each breast into four. Season the birds with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then roast them in a tray for 30 minutes, until they are browned, turning every so often and draining off any fat into a bowl.
Baked Vacherin with endive sal ad serves 4 Vacherin comes in its own little wooden box that allows it to contin ue maturing, so the riper it gets the more liquid it becomes. The box is a per fect vessel for baking the cheese in.
For endive salad 2 heads white Belgian endive (chicory) 1 head red Belgian endive (chi cory) 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinega r 150ml / ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil mixed with 150ml / ¾ cup vegetable oil salt and pepper
Cut the bottoms off the Belgian endive and remove any discoloured leaves. Separate the leaves and was h them if necessary. In a bowl whisk
D N U O S D? GOO
the mustards, add the white wine vinegar and gradually whisk in the oils and season. Toss the leaves in the dressing and serve the salad in a bowl. An individual Vacherin usually weighs about 500g. Bake it in its box for 15-20 minutes at 180°C/360°F/ gas mark 5. Serve with slices of toasted baguette and the endive salad in a bowl.
Fondue without the fuss!
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Meanwhile make the sauce. Gently cook the shallots and garlic in the butter for 2-3 minutes until soft and lightly coloured. Add the flour and stir well over a low heat for a minute. Then add the tomato purée, and gradually the wine, stirring well to avoid lumps. Then slowly stir in the hot stock. Bring to the boil, add the thyme and bay leaf and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the goose from the oven and drain in a colander over a bowl to reserve the fat. (Keep this for cooking potatoes or confit.)
C O O K H O U S E 1 6
Turn the oven down to 170°C/330°F/gas mark 3. Put the pieces of goose into a casserole dish with the sauce, cover with a lid and braise for 2 hours or until tender. You will need to check a piece and return it to the oven if it’s not. Remove the goose from the liquid, put on a plate and cover with foil. Transfer the liquid to a large saucepan, skim off any fat with a ladle and simmer until the sauce thickens. Return the goose to the sauce and season if necessary. At this point you can keep this in the fridge for a few days. To serve, remove the quince from the liquor, cut into 6 wedges and add to the goose and sauce. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Arrange the goose and quince on plates and spoon over the sauce. This can be served with creamed polenta, buttered greens, roast potatoes cooked in goose fat... www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse
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C O O K H O U S E 1 3
Stuffed roast partridge serves 4 4 oven-ready partridges 300g / 10 oz chicken livers, finely chopped 120g / 4 ¼ oz Italian sausage, chopped 100g / 4oz smoked pancetta, finely chopped 5 sage leaves
1 onion, finely diced 70g / ¾ cup breadcrumbs 1 black truffle, finely shaved salt and pepper rosemary sprigs
1 whole Gressingham duck (boned out) 4 slices Parma ham 1 small bunch of parsley 1 small bunch of sage 1 small bunch of winter savoury 1 head of Treviso radicchio, chopped and slightly wilted with a little butter 1 clementine (peeled and segmented) 1 ciabatta loaf 300g / 10 oz pizza dough
make as flat as possible (gently run the knife over the meat and push it with your hands – don’t go through the skin though).
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/gas 4. Cook the onion gently and slowly in butter.
the right stuff Mix all the ingredients and the onion together. Put the stuffing in a piping bag and use the bag to pipe it into the birds. Arrange them on an oven tray, season with salt and pepper, olive oil and some sprigs of rosemary. Roast them in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve with braised cabbage and roast potatoes.
Pizza crust stuffed with whole Gressingham duck
Members get stuffed! The first London Cookhouse event took place in Shoreditch House last month, a chance for Soho House Group chefs to show off their Christmas stuffing skills to a class of (primarily female) members – wonder why the chefs were so keen to help out..? Maurilio Molteni from Shoreditch showed his group how to stuff partridges Italian-style, along with group Italian head chef Daniele Pampagnin. Dave Green from Hoxton Grill led the charge for American food with a traditional turkey, and Jon Pollard from Pizza East and his chefs Tim and Jake showed how to bone a duck, wrap it in ham and bake it in dough. There were a few sticky moments, with some ladylike students blanching slightly at hacking a duck to pieces, and Pizza East’s deputy manager doing something to his duck that more closely resembled crochet than cooking. But by the end of the night everyone had learnt something – although perhaps some more than others; that holey duck never did look quite right! Shoreditch House kitchens laid on a huge feast, everyone agreed they’d sign up for the next one and one member has even signed up for one-on-one lessons with chef Molteni. Members: look out for lots more Cookhouse events for you, worldwide.
American-style stuffing recipe C O O K H O U S E 1 8
This stuffing is ideal for turkey. Enough for one large bird. 500g / 17 oz sausage meat 100g / 1 cup dry breadcrumbs 1 onion, finely chopped 1 pinch chopped fresh sage
1 pinch chopped fresh rosemary 2 tbsp chopped parsley 2 tbsp chopped chives zest of a lemon salt and pepper 4 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cooked til crisp and chopped
Sweat the onion, sage and rosemary in a little butter until the onion is soft. Next combine the onion and all the other ingredients by hand, (using a processor will make the stuffing tough). Cook a small amount on the stove top to taste for seasoning. Rest the stuffing for 8 hours in the fridge and then it is ready to use. Any leftovers will freeze very well.
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Ask for 1.6-2kg (3.5-4.4 lb) duck boned out – most butchers will be happy to do so while you’re waiting. (Keep the bones, roast them and make stock with them.)
Then spread the farce on the duck. Scatter the Treviso and clementine pieces on the half of the duck closest to you. Lightly season. Lay out the strips of Parma ham next to each other on your board. Carefully lift the duck and place on top of the ham – the slices should run lengthwise in the direction you’re going to roll the duck. Roll the duck and the ham together away from you to make a sausage.
Meanwhile, with a rolling pin, roll out 150g of the pizza dough to roughly the same shape and size as the duck. Allow approximately 2cm of dough all around the duck. Do this twice. Lay one dough on a baking tray. Place the duck in the middle of the dough. Now place the other dough on top of the duck and pinch around making sure you are not allowing too much air in it. Oil the dough with pastry brush and finish with some finely chopped herbs. Bake in the oven for 45 mins. Serve when the dough is golden and puffed up.
Shape neatly and tuck in any loose ends. Place in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 350°F/gas 4. First make a farce in a food processor with parsley, sage and winter savoury. Add 300g of the duck meat. Blitz to a fine paste. On a chopping board place the duck, skin down, with the neck end facing away from you and spread out the flesh to
it's for s the bird
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C O O K H O U S E 1 9
on the hunt in the field
Chefs from across the group have been out and about this winter – huntin’,
shootin’, fishin’ and, um, visitin’, in order to locate the best ingredients and find out about where they come from. Here’s a round up of what they’ve been up to
SOMERSET.... Last month Matt Greenlees, Babington House’s general manager and Ronnie Bonetti, head chef, took their team into the nearby countryside for a night. There was only one rule: you had to catch your dinner...Matt gives us a taste of day one “Babington goes bush. Whose bloody idea was this? Mine? Or Ron’s? We were both too drunk to remember. The idea of taking our chefs commando came after a “post-service debrief” (as we like to tell the wives). Five pints later we conjured up the idea of getting the team back to basics. Let’s take the farmto-fork idea one step further. If you don’t shoot, catch or forage, you go hungry. So eight of the Babington team headed out with Farmer Frank, who runs Wellow trekking and is one of our committee members. (Without his generosity none of this would have been possible.) The guys looked the part, having made a mad dash to the charity shop the night before to buy essentials. Tweed, flat cap, tie, and shooting socks. We headed on to Frank’s shooting range to practise and split into two teams. My team-mates were dropping clays with gay abandon...meanwhile I hit only one. Had Ready for action: I lost my mojo? I needed to get myself together. No the Babington team. birds, no dinner. Later, I was standing at the top of two when real, for the hill while the other team shot deer ran out of the hedge at me. I’m not sure who got the bigger fright, me or the deer. “No-game-no-food” ran through my mind. Could I catch one? They ran off before I got the chance. What was I thinking?
C O O K H O U S 2 0
There was the crack of shotguns, followed by screams of joy below. Who on the other team had hit birds? Surely not Jess... A figure appeared with two pheasants draped over her shoulder. Two birds with two shells; it was Jess. Damn.
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GOES N O T G N I B “BA OODY L B E S O H W BUSH. HIS? IDEA WAS T
in the field
It was our turn. Frank set everyone else up and took me to position...bethe last shooting position...be hind a tree. The first bird flew over us and to safety. We all had seca pop and not one got close. The sec ond bird came out of a hedge. I had no time to think and pulled the trigger. Demons exorcised. Sorry Frank! Great position after all. I was loving it now. Ronnie still couldn’t hit one. ‘Ron!’ shouted Frank, followed by two shots in quick succession. No bird. ‘Ron!’ cried Frank again. More shots...and finally, Big Ron got his bird. Thank God. The day was saved.”
In New York, a different kind of hunt was on, when head chef of SHNY, Paul Gerard took a team to his favourite butcher
That night saw the team camping in the woods, cooking and eating their hunted and gathered food – as farm-to-fork as you can get.
Above left: the SHNY team at their butchers; above aged beef
“Last week I took my crew to the oldest meatpacker in not only the Meatpacking District, but all of New York. Opened in the early 1920s, Debragga & Spitler set the standard, supplying Le Pavillon, La Cote Basque and La Caravelle in the great days of calculated rotting. D&S have today’s top chefs Daniel Boulud, Laurent Tourendel, Eric Ripert and Tom Colicchio as friends. And with friends like that, you can bet their processes are close to perfection. My roster was not the culinary all-star team listed above, but better! They were young, eager professionals with no preconceived notions about what they were about to experience, nor giant chef egtos to coddle and consider. All dressed up - the Babington team.
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NEW YORK...
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With me were a junior sous, a cooking school undergrad, a breakfast cook, and a waiter (whose Mexican upbringing had not prepared him for the arctic temperatures of the West Side walk-ins!). Dressed in butcher coats and hairnets we meandered through millions of dollars-worth of dry-aged bovine, poultry, pork and game with an eager and informative tour guide (or...salesman) who explained their processes and gently persuaded yours truly to spend a fat wad of the boss’s money on some beautiful Mangalitsa Wooly Hog Lardo, a case of poussins, and 50-day, dry-aged, bone-in New York strip steaks, that have all made their way on to my menu. Everyone was impressed. The company’s reputation for excellence was made by selling New York’s top restaurants the finest cuts of meat. Now, New York’s butcher was ready for my next generation of great chefs: Ingrid, Mr.www.sohohouse.com T, Gustavo, and Erwin.”
in the fileld
Tiziano explains how to find mushrooms.
LONDON...
The London chefs have not been idle either. Daniele Pampagnin, group Italian head chef and mushroom fanatic, took a group of chefs mushroom foraging “Tiziano, our mushroom expert, really knows how to find and treat mushrooms. He taught us where to find ceps; how to clean them where you found them so that they scatter their spores (which is why you carry them in a basket, so the spores can escape); what to pick and what to avoid. We picked about 2kg of ceps and a few parasol mushrooms too – one of the BKB chefs found one as big as my head! After several hours our stomachs started calling so we headed back to the van and built a barbecue and cooked the mushrooms with sausages, cheeses and wine. It was a wonderful day – none of the gang had been picking before, and it was great to get people together from Hoxton Grill, BKB, Cecconi’s, Shoreditch House, High Road House and Cafe Boheme too. We all fell asleep in the van on the way home.”
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Alan Bird, executive head chef, has also taken teams of London chefs on a couple of expeditions. “We did a brilliant fishing trip in Dorset with chefs from across the group. We had a late night before but there was no sea sickness – an even bigger miracle considering the amount of Butcombe bitter that got drunk on board during the day. Everyone loved it – our skipper, Paul, gave us lots of tips so everyone caught a fish. In London we also had a sustainable fish demo.”
Bird then arranged a trip for London chefs to visit an Italian supplier, J&G Company, in Kings Cross “J&G are a family business and have been going since the 1960s. They make fresh filled pastas, have their own butchery doing bespoke sausages, pancetta that they cure themselves, hams and all sorts of cheeses. A real highlight was watching them make mozzarella and then ricotta with the leftovers, and they let us just dive in and rip pieces off to taste while it was still warm. They were so generous and then they sent us all off with goodie bags.”
LOS ANGELES.. In LA, the hunt is on for perfect pork. Andrea Cavaliere explains. “Last month we took a bunch of chefs to a great local restaurant, Teroni’s and had an Appreciation of Pork evening in their private room. Chefs from all over the city were there plus Nicky Pickup from Soho House West Hollywood came and Alessio Biangini from Cecconi’s. A butcher did a demo, while a rancher spoke about raising pork (and other animals) sustainably. Pork that was butchered right before our eyes was sent to the kitchen and dish after dish featuring pork was sent out. Crispy sausage made from headcheese (brawn) served with lentils, a phenomenal porchetta dish, salumi made a month before from a pig of the same breed from the same farm...It was fantastic.” Top: catch of the day in Dorset. Right: appreciating pork in LA.
got dough?
Anatomy of an ingredient
It’s worked so well that Bird has decided all the head chefs in London should go bread making: “Marcus at Millers Bakery in Wimbledon has supplied us for years and is a great baker and host, so he’s doing some workshops and we’re doing some more at Flourish in Tottenham. It’s a great chance for all the head chefs to get their hands dirty!”
Dough is a vital part of almost any restaurant’s repertoire. “It’s so important to get it right,” says Daniele Pampagnin, Soho House Group’s Italian head chef. “It’s the first impression you get of a restaurant after all: their bread and their butter or oil.”
e h t n i jo n o i t u l revo
if you’re interested in a career in the Soho House Group’s kitchens around the world, then get in touch... contact cookhouse@sohohouse.com
A lot of work goes into finding the right flour for each type of dough. “For pizza dough in Shoreditch House we tend to use 70% OO and 30% Manitoba T45 which is strong and elastic,” says Pampagnin. “But then in Pizza East and Soho House Berlin, we use T55 and T45, which makes a wettter dough, more like ciabatta.” In Italian restaurants like Shoreditch House, they make up to 25kg of pasta dough a day. “We use different doughs for different pastas”, says head chef Maurilio Molteni. “For tagliatelle and pappardelle you use whole eggs and more flour because you need it to be harder, but ravioli needs a softer dough.” “With pizza dough you have to avoid working it too much,” adds Molteni. “If you make it too elastic, when you cook it, it will shrink.” “In Berlin, we make all the breads except the rye bread, which we buy in – we will make our own in future, but we’re learning to do it perfectly first,” says Pampagnin. “One of our chefs there, Lukasz Solowiey, is really into bread and he does the baking Monday to Saturday, making two kinds of ciabatta, brioche burger buns, plus all the pizza and pasta doughs.” In Miami, Andrea Cavaliere (who oversees the kitchens in Miami and Cecconi’s LA) has his chefs making three types of pasta (including a dairy free), plus muffins, cupcakes and pastries as well as fococcia and pizzas.
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Some 00 flours make pasta discolour once it’s made. “Cuor d’Italia flour doesn’t discolour,” says Pampagnin. “Spadoni is the best I’ve found until now,” adds Molteni. “Choosing the right flours is about experience.” In season, it makes sense to use different flours – so at this time of year when strong gamey flavours are abundant, chestnut flour is a good match with them. Pizza East in London also make all their own pizza dough now. “We were buying it in from Bluebird Bakery,” explains Alan Bird, group executive head chef. “But one of their guys was leaving and we got him to give all of the staff lessons. It’s improved the quality in a major way and saves money too. There’s real love going into it now, as an ingredient.”
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words from the wise
HEAD , K C I W G D E S NEIL OHEME B É F A C , F E CH H HHHHHHHH HHHHHHH
ke on tapas: a t n a i d n I Imli is an lavours and f h s e r f , d o fresh fo u change so yo n e t f o t a h t menus different. g n i h t e m o s can have . ality stuff Very good qu et, ardour Stre W 9 16 7 16 , i Iml 3 020 7287 424
HO HOUSE Las Iguanas is a great place to start the nigh t. Nice cheap cocktails, and great mojitos. Las Iguanas, 36 -38 Dean Street , 020 7494 4716 For an amazin g green chicke n curry Busaba is a lovely Th ai restaurant: re ally nice and consistent. Ve ry reasonable , with lots of fresh smoothies and the vegetarian sele ction is good too. Busaba Eathai , 106-110 Wardour Street, 020 7255 8686
the music: I go to the Crobar for grunge. rock, heavy metal and p Plus it sells very chea nus! bourbon, which is a bo tte ne The Crobar, 17 Ma Street, 020 7439 0831
Gilbert Holmes, head chef, Boheme Kitchen LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
a little The Nellie Dean is only absolutely pub, but it serves an best in awesome steak pie, the Soho by far. Soho, The Nellie Dean of 7734 2572 89 Dean Street, 020
Johan Triplet, junior sous, Café Boheme
Bar Soho is the perfect place to go for a party and cocktail. The staff are friendly and it’s always very lively. Bar Soho, 23-25 Old Compton Street, 020 7439 0439
Friendly Society is a little bar underground that’s very wacky with little booths and dolls hanging from the ceiling, it’s a really different looking place. They have a great cocktail menu and florescent lighting that keeps up the gay vibe. Friendly Society, 79 Wardour Street, 020 7434 3805
Inamo is an interactive Japanese restaurant and one of the more interesting places I’ve been to in Soho. You have a screen on the table where you push the buttons to order food and drink and then the food just arrives, which is quite amazing! Inamo, 134-136 Wardour Street, 020 7851 7051
Barrafina is a really great tapas bar, the chefs are right in front of you so you can see everything they do. Even down to the olive oil and bread, the food is amazing. Barrafina, 54 Frith Street 020 7813 8016 www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse
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SOHO
Soho’s chefs share their favourite local bars and restaurants
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F, SO
nior Kyle Walkinshaw, ju itchen sous chef, BohemeIK O IO IO O I O I O I O I IO IO
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insiders guide to...
LEON LAWRENC E, HEAD CHE
Sebastian Pri , junior sous chce ef, Soho House
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Despite its name th e Pillars of Hercules is your ty pical British pub: very quirky an d old school, you can stand outs ide with a pint of real ale an d watch the world go by. Pillars of Hercules , 7 Greek Street, 020 7437 117 9
Princi has great It alian food. It’s very quick, all pizzas and pastas but still re ally fresh. Eat in or take away it’s good food done cheap, so it’s very busy, but in a good way. Princi, 135 Wardour Street, 020 7478 8888
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WELSH RAREBIT member’s recipe
(CAWS POB IN WELSH)
EVENTS
Guy Williams is chief financial officer for the Soho House Group.
cheese on toast is Welsh rarebit. A lot of people think that a few slices of nice…but not Welsh rarebit. It’s not, it’s cheese on toast. Which is very but I don’t use any. I reckon Usually it contains two tablespoons of ale to. Using the right Brains SA (a Welsh ale) is best if you do want isn’t, so if you like mustard, ingredients is critical but the quantity used use sourdough bread though. say, feel free to add a bit more. Do try and ed Welsh caviar – in fact it is Laverbread is a Welsh delicacy sometimes call like laverbread. edible seaweed. If you like oysters you will 2 slices sourdough bread
1 heaped tsp very finely chopped onion
200g mature cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon chopped sage
4 splashes Worcestershire sauce
laverbread (optional) to spread on top
½ teaspoon English mustard
ng except the bread and laverPreheat your grill to medium. Mix everythi ad the cheese onto the bread bread together. Lightly toast the bread. Spre cheese starts to bubble & brown. evenly. Pop under a medium grill until the once the rarebit has cooked. Laverbread is great dolloped on top
RE, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO HE PE CI RE UR YO E SE TO IF YOU’D LIKE
OM .C SE U O H O H SO @ SE U O H K COO
Grown ups can also book in for Christmas meals at High Road House.
Hoxton See those cold winter nights out sitting by an open fire sipping mulled wine. Join the team at Hoxton Grill for a warm and memorable experience – group Christmas bookings available.
New York ROASTS Alan Bird, group head chef, has been working hard to get the UK sites serving the best of British roast dinners, and has been on a teaching tour of all the sites, helping chefs from overseas get to grips with squidgy Yorkshire puddings and crispy roast potatoes. His hardest task? Convincing them that bread sauce is supposed to be lumpy. Back away from that blender, Chef!
CHRISTMAS SPECIALS London Shoreditch: This Christmas think...slow cooked shoulder of lamb, roast pork belly & rosemary jus, ossobuco & mash...think Shoreditch House.
Pizza East: Hit the deli at Pizza East for the perfect Christmas hamper (£40).
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Christmas at Boheme Kitchen and Bar is all about sharing: expect turkey or rib of beef, sea bass or gnocchi, plus sides and salads in big bowls and big jugs of gravy. Yum!
Chiswick Kids Christmas Party, Sunday 19 December, 1.30-3.30pm Party games, face painting, cookie decorating, card making, movies, and a visit from Santa.
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‘Tis the season to eat and drink as much as possible (responsibly, of course). Here are some delicious things to look out for this season across the houses
Christmas Carols Wednesday 15 December, 7pm onwards SHNY is rounding up the carollers in the drawing room for a Soho House tradition. How to Make the Perfect Holiday Cocktail Thursday 16 December, 7pm Mulled wine, hot buttered rum, hot toddies – how to make the best holiday cocktails with experts, Nicolas and Josef. Little Cookhouse: Holiday Pies & Tree Trimming, Saturday 18 December, 11am-1pm Teaching little ones and parents how to make mini holiday pies to take home. While the pies cook, the kids trim the tree. Holiday Sweater Meatball Monday. Monday 20 December, bookings from 6pm onwards Meatballs and sides for $20/ person, with red and white wine for $40/person. Wear your best holiday sweater! Christmas Cook-Up Friday 25 December, bookings from 11am–10pm Book in for a three-course Christmas lunch or dinner. Email reception@sohohouseny.com to book, $70/person for adults and $20/person for kids. Boxing Day Brunch Saturday 26 December, bookings from 9am onwards Boxing Day? It’s a British thing...there’s no boxing! Come and relax for brunch.
want www.sohohouse.com/cookhouse to cook? email cookhouse@sohohouse.com
New Year’s Eve Grand Ball Friday 31 December, 7pm onwards A grand New Year’s Eve Ball with dinner, a live band, DJ and cabaret. From $75 per person (depending on time of booking).
SOMERSET Christmas lunch starts at the oyster and caviar bar, then a five-course boozy lunch. Afterwards, why not take home a bulging Babington Christmas hamper?
Berlin Truffles and Game, Thursday 16 December, 6–8.30 pm Hot on the heels of the fab members Magic Mushroom event (culinarily magical, we mean...) learn how to match truffles with game. Cook then enjoy your work at dinner. €20 per person. Reserve via cleanplate@ sohohouse.com
Los Angeles Little Cookhouse: Gingerbread Houses, Saturday 18 December, 11am Bring the kids for a morning of making gingerbread houses. RSVP to membereventswh@ sohohouse.com with the number of children attending. Christmas Eve Cook-Up, Friday 24 December 24, from 1pm The quintessential Christmas Cook Up with all the traditional trimmings. $65 for adults, $15 for children. Kids are invited to join us at the House on Christmas Eve. Book a table by calling Club C CO Reception at (310) 432-9200. Gold and Glamour Friday, December 31 Send off 2010 in style. There will be DJs, cocktails and two dinner sittings. The 7pm sitting is $85 and the 9.30pm sitting is $150. Call 310 432 9200 to book your reservation or email membereventswh@sohohouse.com
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