Yes Chef! Magazine formerly Chef Magazine October/November issue

Yes Chef United Kingdom

Issue 74

The Magazine for the Professional Chef

Sensei Master Eric Ripert

New York Special Edition

Robby Jenks Talk to the Chef

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MASTERING THE GRILL SINCE 1969

JOSPER has been producing ovens for half a century, has more than 30.000 customers (it is an oven 100% made in Spain) and is present in more than 120 countries on the 5 continents.

CHARCOAL BROILERS OPEN GRILLS ROBATAGRILL COOKWARE CHARCOAL

www.josper.es Gutenberg, 11 - 08397 Pineda de Mar Barcelona (Spain) T +34 93 767 15 16 josper@josper.es

BERT’S RESTAURANT Australia

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Talk to the Chef Robby Jenks TALK TO THE CHEF

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the‘sensei master’ Eric Ripert TALK TO THE CHEF

Sohm the Super Somm 26

A FYN Affair Peter Tempelhoff 4TALK

TO THE CHEF

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FRONT OF HOUSE

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A bite of the Big Apple

Phil Clarke Heathrow Landing TALK TO THE CHEF

New York Special Insight INDUSTRY TOPIC

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Jean-George Vongerichten The Fulton Fish Market TALK TO THE CHEF

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Recipes COTES DE PROVENCE and Cookbooks 63

FRONT OF HOUSE

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Yes Chef Magazine published for the Professional Chef 6

To celebrate the re-launch of Yes Chef Magazine, formerly Chef Magazine, we are pleased to offer our readers range of specially commissioned napkins at amazing prices

2 Ply White 40 x 40 Napkin 2000 per case

1-20 Cases £18.00 per case 20-40 Cases £17.00 per case 40 Cases £16.00 per case Priced include delivery to one UK addressAvailable as a limited offer whilst stock is available

This promotion is in conjunction with ESP and that orders can be placed via orders@espenigma.com quoting code YESCHEF2019.

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Y

Dr. Johann Siegert

It all started in 1824, when founder Dr. Johann Siegert first produced Aromatic Bitters as a medicinal tincture designed to alleviate stomach ailments.

Originally known as “Amargo Aromatico” Angostura® Aromatic Bitters has now become a by word for Chefs and Mixologists alike as an integral ingredient in food and cocktails.

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Yes Chef Magazine

PUBLISHED BY Chef Media

Yes Chef! Your magazine goes back to its roots Oh yes!

PUBLISHER Peter Marshall peter@chefmedia.co.uk

Yes chef! is the cry heard in kitchens around the world. Now, once more, the definitive magazine for the professional chef will once more carry that title.

Launched in 2009, the magazine began life as Yes Chef! (Some of you will remember the amazing launch party at Harvey Nichols). The decision was then made to rebrand as Chef Magazine.

But you the readers never stopped campaigning for a return to the original title.

Tel: 0044 0207 0971396

ADVERTISISNG SALES Valeria Curizo sales@chefmedia.co.uk WRITERS Namai Bishop Bernice Saltzer Jeffrey Benson Josh Sims

Yes reader!

DESIGNER Chef Media Copyright Chef Media United Kingdom Website www.chef-magazine.com

Yes Chef Magazine is published for professional Chefs the United Kingdom.

Published 6 times a year and available in both electronic and printed format.

Yes Chef United Kingdom

Issue 74

The Magazine for the Professional Chef

Sensei Master Eric Ripert

New York Special Edition

Robby Jenks Talk to the Chef

This months cover is Chef Eric Ripert.

The interview is on page 26

We listened and we have responded.

There are other publications with similar titles that can be confusing in a hot-house industry. So we have made a complete change, going back to our roots as any chef would choose the finest ingredients.

Yes Chef! will continue to showcase the very best of the industry, from the finest kitchens in the world to the wider food and drink trade. Its title is a clarion call, a mark of respect in the kitchen that is reflected in the respect our team of writers accords to our indispensible industry.

The cry Yes Chef! is global and that is where the magazine is going. Differentiating ourselves from the competition will enable the magazine to grow in the UK and in Thailand where the issue is celebrating more than a year’s worth of issues.

The world is our oyster and plans are advanced for launching the publication in several new countries. Global and local… the cry will be the same – Yes Chef!

Current subscribers will have access to new editions, with all the up-to-date information from our fast-moving industry In the current issue, we interview two of New York’s finest chefs - Eric Ripert and JeanGeorges Vongerichten, and they are perfectly ‘paired’ with a profile of the ‘World’s Best Sommelier’ Aldo Sohm.

Read about Peter Tempelhoff 's new dining concept FYN in Capetown, South Africa.

We find out how Robby Jenks is turning the Samling into one of the great restaurants in the UK after life at Gidleigh Park. Want to know about life as an executive chef at The Hilton Heathrow It’s all there.

The environment is everyone’s concern so we look at best practice in the treatment of FOG. In addition we offer you our regular selection of recipes and book reviews.

Enjoy. But as in the best kitchens, we want your feedback. So do let our team know if you would like to see specific content included in Yes Chef! – the magazine for the professional.

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Restaurant

Chef

Chef

Location

3 Michelin Star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester Fat Duck Gordon Ramsay Sketch (The Lecture Room & Library) Waterside Inn

lain Ducasse Heston Blumenthal Gordon Ramsay Pierre Gagnaire Alain Roux

Jean-Philippe Blondet Edward Cooke Matt Abé Johannes Nuding Fabrice Uhryn

Mayfair Bray Chelsea Mayfair Bray

Michelin Listing for 2020

2 Michelin Star Aimsir Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons Claude Bosi at Bibendum CORE by Clare Smyth Dinner by Heston Blumenthal Greenhouse Greenhouse Hand and Flowers Hélène Darroze at The Connaught Kitchen Table at Bubbledogs La Dame de Pic L'Enclume Le Gavroche Ledbury Midsummer House Moor Hall Patrick Guilbaud Raby Hunt Restaurant Nathan Outlaw The Dining Room Restaurant Sat Bains Umu

Jordan Bailey Stevie McLaughlin Raymond Blanc Claude Bosi Clare Smyth Ashley Palmer-Watts Mikael Viljanen Chenge of Chef Tom Kerridge Hélène Darroze James Knappett Ann-Sophie Pic Simon Rogan Michel Roux Jr. Brett Graham Daniel Clifford Mark Birchall Patrick Guilbaud James Close Nathan Outlaw Niall Keating Sat Bains Yoshinori Ishii

Gary Jones

Rachel Humphrey

Guillaume Lebrun

Celbridge ROI Auchterarder Oxford/ Chelsea North Kensington Hyde Park Dublin Mayfair Marlow Mayfair Bloomsbury London Cartmel Mayfair North Kensington Cambridge Aughton Dublin Darlington Port Isaac Malmesbury Nottingham Mayfair

1 Michelin Star A. Wong Adam's alchemilla Allium at Askham Hall Alyn Williams at The Westbury Amaya Angler Aniar Artichoke Aquavit Barrafina Bastion Beach House Black Rat Black Swan Blackbird 10

Andrew Wong Adam Stokes Alex Bond Richard Swale Alyn Williams Sanchit Kapoor Gary Foulkes JP McMahon Laurie Gear Henrik Ritzén Carlos Gomez Paul McDonald Jon Marsden-Jones Tom Banks Dom Robinson Dom Robinson

Victoria Birmingham Nottingham Askham Mayfair Belgravia Finsbury Galway Amersham St. James's Soho Kinsale ROI Oxwich, Wales Winchester Oldstead Newbury

Restaurant

Chef

Chef

Location

1 Michelin Star continued Stephen Smith Keith Braidwood Tomos Parry George Livesey Robert Potter Garrett Byrne Brad Carter Peter Sanchez-Ingelsias Steeven Gilles Ross Lewis Rob Krawczyk Bruce Poole Paul Walsh Fred Clapperton Pascal Aussignac Conor Toomey Ben Wilkinson Adam Smith Simon Bonwick Richard Galli Michael Deane Simon Hulstone Phil Howard Taylor Bonnyman Dan Smith Kevin Tickle Marc Wilkinson Jeff Galvin George Blogg Mickael Viljanen Karam Sethi Tong Che Hwee Seng Han Tan Aaron Patterson Sally Abé Ollie Dabbous Peter Gray Martijn Kajuiter Kenny Atkinson Hrishikesh Desai Takachi Miyazaki Takashi Miyazaki Jeremy Chan Jean Delport James Sommerin John Duffin Alex Chow Mark Kempson Tom Kitchin

St. Helier Newbury Shoreditch Bristol Castle Combe Kilkenny Birmingham Bristol Belgravia Dublin Ballydehob Wandsworth City of London Ripley City of London Edinburgh Braithwaite Ascot Burchett's Green Victoria Belfast Torquay Chelsea Chelsea Canterbury/Fordwich Grasmere Birkenhead Spitalfields East Grinstead Dublin Mayfair Bloomsbury Mayfair Oakham/Hambleton Fulham Mayfair Bray Ardmore Newcastle upon Tyne Windermere Isle of Eriska Cork St. James's Horsham Penarth Mountsorrel Mayfair Kensington Edinburgh/Leith

Michelin Listing for 2020

Bohemia Braidwoods Brat Bulrush Bybrook Campagne Carters of Moseley Casamia Céleste Chapter One Chestnut Chez Bruce City Social Clock House Club Gascon Condita Cottage in the Wood Coworth Park Crown Dining Room at The Goring Eipic Elephant Elystan Street Five Fields Fordwich Arms Forest Side Fraiche Galvin La Chapelle Gravetye Manor Greenhouse Gymkhana Hakkasan Hanway Place Hakkasan Mayfair Hambleton Hall Harwood Arms Hide Hinds Head House House of Tides HRiSHi Isle of Eriska Ichigo Ichie Ikoyi Interlude James Sommerin John's House Kai Kitchen W8 Kitchin

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Restaurant

Chef

Chef

Location

Michelin Listing for 2020

1 Michelin Star continued L'Ecrivain L'Ortolan La Dame de Pic La Trompette Lady Helen Le Champignon Sauvage Leroy Loam Locanda Locatelli Loch Bay Lyle's Lympstone Manor Marcus Mana Martin Wishart Masons Arms Matt Worswick at The Latymer Mews Morston Hall Murano Northcote Number One Nut Tree Opheem Olive Tree Outlaw's Fish Kitchen OX Oxford Kitchen Paco Tapas Paul Ainsworth at No.6 Peel's Pensons Pétrus Pied à Terre Pipe and Glass Pollen Street Social Pony & Trap Portland Purnell's Quilon Red Lion Freehouse Restaurant Hywel Jones Restaurant Tristan Ritz Restaurant River Café Rogan & Co Roganic 12

Derry Clarke Derry Clarke Tom Clarke Luca Piscazz Rob Weston Ken Harker David Everitt-Matthias Sam Kamienko Enda McEvoy Giorgio Locatelli Michael Smith James Lowe Michael Caines Mark and Shauna Froydenlund Martin Wishart Mark Dodson Matt Worswick Ahmet Dede Galton Blackiston Angela Hartnett Lisa Goodwin-Allen Jeff Bland Mike North Aktar Islam Chris Cleghorn Tim Barnes Stephen Toman Paul Welburn Dave Hazell Paul Ainsworth Robert Palmer Lee Westcott James Petrie Asimakis Chaniotis James Mackenzie Jason Atherton Josh Eggleton Merlin Labron-Johnson Glynn Purnell Mr A Sriram V Aylur Guy Manning Hywel Jones Tristan Mason John Williams Ruth Rodgers Tom Barnes Oliver marlow

Dublin Reading/Shinfield City of London Chiswick Thomastown Cheltenham Shoreditch Galway Regent's Park Isle of Skye Shoreditch Lympstone Belgravia Manchester Edinburgh/Leith Knowstone Bagshot Baltimore Blakeney/Morston Mayfair Blackburn/Lango Edinburgh Murcott Birmingham Bath Port Isaac Belfast Oxford Bristol Padstow Hampton in Arden Tenbury Wells Belgravia Bloomsbury South Dalton Mayfair Chew Magna Regent's Park Birmingham Victoria East Chisenbury Bath/Colerne Horsham St. James's Hammersmith Cartmel Marylebone

Restaurant

Chef

Chef

Location

1 Michelin Star continued Nieves Barragán Paul Foster Wiiliam Drabble Simon Radley Luke Tipping Paul Hood Steve Drake Stephen Stevens Fergus Henderson Andrew Pern Ben Crittenden Tom Sellers Agnar Sverrisson Michael Wignall Biily Boyter Isaac McHale Tom De Keyser Adam Bennett Niall Keating Gregory Wellman Michael O'Hare Gareth McCaughey Kevin Mangeolles Jun Tunaka Mike Tweedie Geoffrey Smeddle Steve Harris Clément Leroy Chris Harrod Chris Harrod John Campbell Thomas Carr Tim Allen Adam Byatt Karam Sethi Douglas Balish Keelan Higgs Uday Salunkhe Shaun Hill Tom Parker Aidan McGrath James Wilkins Colin McGurran Frances Atkins

Jonathan Woolway

Mayfair Stratford-upon-Avon St. James's Chester Birmingham Soho Dorking Anglesey Clerkenwell Helmsley/Harome Broadstairs Bermondsey Regent's Park Hetton Anstruther Shoreditch Marlow Kenilworth Malmesbury Kew Leeds Belfast Hunstanton Bloomsbury Adare ROI Whatcote Peat Inn Whitstable Mayfair Monmouth Newbury Ilfracombe Little Dunmow Clapham Common Regent's Park Egham Dublin Mayfair Abergavenny Fence Lisdoonvarna Bristol Winteringham Machynlleth

Michelin Listing for 2020

Sabor Salt Seven Pak Place Simon Radley at Chester Grosvenor Simpsons Social Eating House Sorrel Sosban & The Old Butchers St John Star Inn at Harome Stark Story Texture The Angel The Cellar The Clove Club The Coach The Cross at Kenilworth The Dining Room The Glasshouse The Man Behind The Curtain The Muddlers Club The Neptune The Ninth The Oak Room The Royal Oak The Peat Inn The Sportsman The Square The Whitebrook The Woodspeen Thomas Carr @ The Olive Room Tim Allen's Flitch of Bacon Trinity Trishna Tudor Room Variety Jones Veeraswamy Walnut Tree White Swan Wild Honey Inn wilks Winteringham Fields Ynyshir

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TALK TO THE CHEF: Robby Jenks Words: Bernice Saltzer

The Samling is one of the most discreet and luxurious hotels in the lake district. Bernice Saltzer meets the man who is steering its food operation in an exciting new direction….

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“I think when you’re a young chef you go at it like you’re in the SAS, it’s like survival of the fittest”

Robby Jenks 15

Robby Jenks is almost apologetic that he has no fairytale like story to tell about the reason why he chose to be a chef.

There is no heartwarming tale of watching his gran make pastry, no revelation that it was helping his mum bake cakes or of her creating mouthwatering, homely concoctions that flared his culinary passion.

But while the matriarchs of his family may not have been creating much of a stir in the kitchen, it was a piece of motherly advice that is undoubtedly the reason why Robby is where he is today.

In his early days Robby managed to win his way into the two Michelin star kitchen at Gidleigh Park, under the watchful eye of the legendary Michael Caines.

Although very inexperienced at that time, Michael could clearly see something in the youthful Robby and have him an opportunity he admits he was less than qualified for.

“It was a complete shock from a restaurant with two rosettes to one with two stars,” said Robby.

“And at the beginning there were days when I just thought, I can’t do this, I need to just give it up.

“But it was my mum that told me that I needed to stick it out.

She has a very strong work ethic and that helped me through.”

Now, heading up the kitchen at the magnificent The Samling hotel near Windermere in the Lake District, you get the distinct feeling that Robby can’t believe his luck.

And to be honest who would blame him, able to put his own particular stamp on a historic and well loved hotel which has a celebrity seal of approval.

Rumour has it that this was where Tom Cruise proposed to Nicole Kidman – happily the hotel has fared far better than their marriage.

Now privately owned, it has seen a huge investment which shrieks – or rather whispers – quiet, understated luxury and elegance from the moment you walk in the door.

With just 12 rooms and a restaurant with a maximum of 25 covers – plus owners who don’t want functions of any kind – this allows Robby creative free range in what he offers his guests.

The restaurant is truly a thing of beauty – deliberately (or so I would imagine) decorated in muted tones so as not to detract from the magnificent landscape which can be seen from the 16

huge windows which run along two sides.

It is certainly worth a visit for the view alone – but then you’d miss out on some pretty fabulous cooking.

Robby firmly believes that all of his experience to date has brought him to this point.

Originally from Tiverton, his first culinary forays were in a local hotel, before working his way to a two rosette restaurant.

From there he went to Gidleigh Park as a commis, staying for five years.

“It was a complete culture shock when I went there,” he admits.

“But I stuck at it and when I left had worked my way up to junior sous.”

A spell with Martin Burge at Whately Manor was followed by a return to Gidleigh Park as senior sous before stints at Amberley Castle in West Sussex and then at The Vineyard in Berkshire.

It was after leaving there that Robby made his way to the Lakes – and to the kitchen at The Samling.

“It really is the perfect place for my first job as a head chef and I’m loving it,” he said.

“It’s a very special place.”

Robby gives a laugh when you ask him what his food style is.

“I’ve been asked that a lot,” he reveals.

“And I would just say progressive. Things are always changing, it very much depends on what we have and how I decide to use it.”

The hotel has its own greenhouses “where we grow the herbs and shoots” and a range of seasonal vegetables are also on offer throughout the year.

“Every meal starts off with something from the garden,” he said.

“I create something depending on what is available and that means we can constantly change the menu.”

That flexibility is certainly a joy for the diner. Our first course was a granita made with lovage, dressed with edible flowers and which tasted so fresh that it made your tastebuds sing.

From that point the menu is a sheer joy – and it is absolutely also worth mentioning the staff.

Never, ever – and I’m talking about a LOT of hotel stays and dining experiences – have I come across a front of house team so friendly, so knowledgeable and an absolute joy to be served by.

It’s clearly something in the air in The Samling which makes everyone – from the guests to the waiting staff to the receptionists to the chef – just completely laid back.

“I think when you’re a young chef you go at it like you’re in the SAS, it’s like survival of the fittest,” said Robby.

“As you get older you still are passionate about food – let’s face it you wouldn’t do this job if you weren’t – but it’s nice to be able to do what you love at a pace you enjoy.

“And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

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What we ate....The Samling offer a three or five course tasting menu with a few extra surprises along the way.

STARTERS Cured mackerel with caviar, apple and wasabi Shellfish ravioli with citrus bisque, kohlrabi, coriander Foie gras with grapes, spiced bread, hazelnuts Veal sweetbreads, cauliflower, lemon, truffle MAIN Lamb – cucumber, anchovy, caper Pork – roasted onion, braised belly, beer sauce Halibut – mussels, samphire, parsley Cod- swiss chard, port, girolles DESSERT Chocolate mille-feuille, laphroaig, banana, sesame Rhubarb, vanilla, pepper, lemon Strawberry, basil, balsamic, honey.

Plus a rather magnificent cheeseboard.

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TALK TO THE CHEF: Phil Clarke Words: Bernice Saltzer

There’s a distinct possibility that in a previous existence Phil Clarke may have been a juggler.

If he was, then clearly he’s retained some of those skills – which is very handy given his current role.

Phil is the Executive Head Chef at the Hilton London Heathrow, overseeing an operation which includes three restaurants, room service, breakfast and a conference and events offering.

Healthy eating packages, a street food festival choice with dishes from around the globe to entice MICE customers are all part of an exhausting day in his life.

While running a hotel kitchen – particularly one with by its nature has a very transient clientele – may not be the choice of every culinary school graduate, it’s a role with which Phil is more than comfortable.

After leaving Slough College he has worked his way through a range of hotels, before ending up at the Hilton at Gatwick, then Wembley before landing at Heathrow.

“It must be something about airports,” he says with a laugh.

“It’s certainly not something you can do if you’re not prepared to manage a whole host of different food offerings, all with different requirements, at the same time.”

Although part of a huge worldwide brand – and all the buying power that comes with that– Phil is very passionate about using local produce and if not local, certainly British as much as it’s practicable.

Seasonal salad items come from Kent, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, with fish from Hastings, Brixham and Whitby, most of which is caught off the British Isles, while the hotel’s meat is also from UK sources.

“It’s really important to me to use sustainable food and to try and buy locally whenever we can,” he said.

At the same time ensuring the hotel is 20

also up to date with current trends is also important, particularly for the conference and events side of the business.

The hotel has a number of spaces – including a new beach terrace which also has its own menus – which are used for meetings, launches and business gatherings.

The beach terrace menu has been created with a nod to easy to eat, informal dining – think chicken “wings of fire” with buffalo sauce, salt and pepper squid with aioli and mini pork and beef sliders with slaw and fries.

To compete in this highly competitive area of the business it’s not just enough to be easily accessible to London and the surrounding districts, although this is a great selling point.

“We try and create menus which are what our guests want,” said Phil.

That includes as part of the Hilton’s Meet with Purpose initiative healthy eating choices with a mini boot camp or exercise session thrown in.

“We’re very conscious of the trend for social dining and sharing so that’s what our new menus reflect,” revealed the chef.

“At the same time we have to have a 24 hour operation because we have so many guests who are travelling on somewhere or who have just arrived from somewhere else.”

Phil believes the route he’s chosen for his career path is one that young chefs breaking into the industry should consider.

“There’s just as many challenges and opportunities in this career path than there is for someone who might go down the fine dining route,” said Phil.

“It’s a different world but it’s one that’s equally as rewarding because you’re part of something huge, working for one of the biggest global brands in hospitality but where you can also make your own mark.”

A career as a chef takes many forms, Yes Chef Magazine meets up with the man at the helm of one of the world’s busiest airport hotels…

Phil Clarke Exec Chef at Hilton London Heathrow

“It’s certainly not something you can do if you’re not prepared to manage a whole host of different food offerings, all with different requirements, at the same time"

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City Spotlight: New York Words: Namai Bishop

In this NYC Special Edition, Namai Bishop,

International Editor travels to the city to bring you the latest on its exciting dining scene and latest projects from its most revered Chefs. Herself once a legal eagle working in the city’s top firms, she is well versed with NYC’s notorious “power dining” scene, as well as a fan of the more obscure secret spots, from SoHo to TriBeCa, Lower East Side to Brooklyn. Certainly, in a city that is in constant flux, the varied dining and bar scene 22

here is equally dynamic: NYC is famed for the greatest number of opening - and sadly closings in any major city, so much so that it’s plethora of dining guides need to be re-issued at breakneck speed. In this issue, Namai visits and interviews one of the city’s most prolific Chefs, Jean-George Vongerichten at his very latest project, one that not only brings a novel top seafood spot to the scene, but that is the very anchor of a revival of the entire downtown Fullerton area! Namai also

A bite of the

Big Apple

meets Aldo Somm, awarded Best Sommelier in the World, no less and Chefs from the City’s top cultural institutions including the iconic Museum of Modern Art. Yet it’s not all change: on the cover we feature Eric Ripert, the City’s - and probably the World’s - most highly awarded yet consistent Chefs, heralded for his slow and steady, and constrained approach. Whilst many top Chefs spin out branded eateries of all sorts, from burger joins to shake stores and even lines of cookware,

this Chef has purposefully remained focused on one of the most loved restaurants in New York City, Le Bernardin. An oasis of calm in a city that never rests, its no wonder our cover Chef in this very special edition is none other that the Zen-sational Eric Ripert who talks to us exclusively about how his personal Buddhist beliefs and philosophy of compassion have shaped his restaurant, his cuisine and all around him, for the better. It seems in the Big City, it’s not always Bigger that means Better.

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New York Insight: Eric Ripert Words: Namai Bishop

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Zen-sational

From tantrums to tantric calm Chef Eric Ripert the‘sensei master’ “Le Bernardin is consistently NYC’s most acclaimed restaurant. Just one of a few establishments designated a four-star rating from the New York Times, it is the place that has held that very highest of distinctions the longest, never having slipped a single star. Stars too, the maximum achievable three of them, from Michelin - consistently every year, ever since the ranking system first came to New York in 2005. An unprecedented record. In an exclusive interview, Namai Bishop speaks to Le Bernadin’s Executive Chef Eric Ripert at this epicentre of New York’s power-dining scene.”

Buddhism or Playboy?

The ‘chef as monster’ model is wellknown in kitchens around the world and there was a time when Le Bernadin’s Executive Chef Eric Ripert could let rip with a volcanic tantrum with the best of them. Today, the famous kitchen is a sea of halcyon calm.

You can achieve a lot with $2, even the unlikeliest $2 ever spent.

To get forks perfectly laid on a Michelinstarred table, often, metaphysical forks are laid in the road to get there.

For Ripert, that fork came at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport in 1989.

En-route to a new career in the United States, he was clutching his last $2 and deciding whether to buy a copy of Playboy or a tract by the spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.

Ripert was leaving France for America. As a promising young chef, he had worked at the legendary La Tour d’Argent in Paris and as a chef in the Michelin three-starred Jamin.

“With that last $2, I reached for a copy of Playboy,” he recalled. “Then I saw a book [Ocean of Wisdom] by his Holiness, the 25

Dalai Lama.” $2 and a choice: the Dalai Lama won. “Something was calling me, and that was the start of my interest in Buddhism that guides me on my journey now.”

Ripert became a committed Buddhist, a choice that became a cornerstone for a compassionate approach, both in his personal and professional life. Famed for his supportiveness of staff, Ripert’s generous leadership approach is reflected too in the benevolence of the projects he supports: he serves as vice chairman of the board for the non-profit organisation City Harvest and has hosted fundraisers for Tibetan causes.

Just as Ripert has served Buddhism, the faith has served him. A truly memorable moment when Le Bernardin served the Dalai Lama dinner and Chef had the chance to cook for his spiritual teacher.

“Buddhism is a way for me to learn and apply the principles in order to become a better person and have a better impact and 26

inspire people,” he said.

Spiritual ritual “Every day I start my day with a routine. It starts with breakfast with the family. Then I meditate.”

In his soft, chant-like voice he continued: “There are two forms of meditation: ‘single point’ when you stop thinking and stay in the present. It’s a very difficult exercise. I try to do it every morning. Then there’s another method where you ‘visualise’.

“When you visualise you can pass energy to somebody in need, or connect with someone who is meaningful to you. It’s all about compassion.”

That care is something he exercises at home and in his kitchen among his staff.

Peace in the city Despite the frenetic pace of New York, it is this focused dedication that keeps the chef grounded.

“It’s important for me balance the three elements of my life:

time for myself that allows me to be a better person; with the family and also a better person at work. It’s a formula, a magical cycle,” he said.

“At work I walk into Le Bernardin and say hello to everyone in every department then go to the kitchen, and only then do I start the day.”

The respect that Chef pays his staff is well reciprocated, said Ben Chekroun, the suave Directeur du Salle, who’s been orchestrating the dining room for more than 25 years.

“He is a practicing Buddhist and that has a positive impact on us all,” he said. “He is truly tranquil, and that calm focus is an inspiration to all of us.”

A spiritual journey across Asia Ripert has travelled widely in Asia, visiting Bhutan, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, in his quest both for spiritual guidance and for inspiration as an ever-evolving chef.

Asian grace and restraint is evident not only in the chef’s

personal life and management style, but also in his food and method of service. Fish is prepared with a precision redolent of the fine art of Japanese calligraphy, like his signature salmon dish, lightly marked by flame on one side only to display the delicate textural progress of raw to cooked and is exquisitely framed on the plate.

Feeding the soul Chef Ripert connects with his work at a deep level. Looking at a single ingredient, he said: “I like to feel what I do, When I cook a single ingredient, I become that ingredient. If I don’t feel the food, I will only be a great technician, never a great chef.”

His approach is very joined up. Preparing fish has a spiritual resonance: his guru’s name Dalai Lama is a combination of the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "master” and the Mongolic word dalai meaning "Ocean".

Master of the Ocean Ripert pointed to the fact Le Bernardin was named after an order of holy monks devoted to good wine and 27

food!

The ambience of Le Bernardin has all the serenity associated with the breaking of bread and though hardly the feeding of the 5,000, the dining room does deliver divine fish to more than 250 devoted diners nightly.

Seafood menu The menu features some 35 seafood entrees, divided into three groups - “Almost Raw”, “Barely Cooked”, and “Lightly Cooked”.

The first includes Hamachi-Osetra caviar tartare sea lettuce and smoked Dashi gelée or a dish of slivers of red snapper, Asian pear, Akinori and Kimchi emulsion while fresh fluke is served with an Enoki mushroom “spring roll” and a Junmai-Shiso infused tomato water.

Strange and wondrous condiments and relishes enliven raw pairings, like Amahari-Argan oil, tomatillo salsa and Zarzuela sauce.

The “Barely Cooked” menu includes the signature seared langoustine; morels, foie gras crouton with an earthy balsamic28

truffle vinaigrette.

The highlight of the (regularly changing) Chef’s Tasting Menu featured the sweet succulent flavours of sautéed Dover sole with almonds, chanterelles, peas, fava beans and soy-lime emulsion.

This was paired expertly by sommelier Katja Scharnagl; her joy for her craft was as effervescent as the perlage and vibrant complexity of the blend of grapes in the Krug, “Grande Cuvée 167ème Edition,” It was a match so perfect, it was almost spiritual and illustrated perfectly the Ripert approach.

“We in the hospitality business create experiences for our clients.

I like the idea of bringing a deeply holistic experience. It’s not just the food when you go to a restaurant, it’s the ambiance, it’s the quality of service, it’s the warmth of the service.”

Weathering tempestuous seas Le Bernadin is a rock in the turbulent seas of New York.

Opened in 1986 the restaurant became a world-renowned seafood institution. But the sudden death of one of its owners chef Gilbert Le Coze threatened its progress.

It was 1994 and for Chef Ripert then aged 29, the death of his mentor was a challenging time. Ripert rose to the occasion, that year the restaurant earning its first four-star rating from The New York Times. It has never lost it: nor the Michelin three stars earned in 2005.

Now Chef Ripert and Gilbert’s sister Maguy Le Coze co-Captain the restaurant and they are a formidable double-act. Madame Le Coze is as sharp and precise as her perfectly coiffed jet black bob. Her formidable talent earned her the 2013 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur - the first woman to be honoured thus.

What is the secret to the restaurant’s continued success in the rapidly- changing, super-competitive New York food business?

“We have a loyal clientele that have been coming since the beginning,” said Ripert. “We have also managed to attract a younger clientele. How to cater to both?”

Tempered, considered evolution, smoothly executed is the approach: “In 2011 we decided to change the décor. The formal dining room we had was very 1980’s French - a bit stuffy! In its place we created a sexy, dynamic space.”

The work by Bentel & Bentel earned the restaurant more laurels the following year - the James Beard Award for Best Restaurant Design.

“That was very positive for us because the clientele was changing,” said Ripert. “The food had always been evolving.

Now there is a synch’ between the new mix of clientele, a more modern cuisine than 20 years ago, and this new decor.

“But all clients want to enjoy a special experience, so we have to keep delivering something exceptional. To do so you have to look into every detail. Perfection cannot be attained but we try to get very close. I train my staff and I train myself to have eyes that see if anything goes wrong. We have created this zero tolerance for mediocrity.”

Exemplary not expansion Ripert continued: “We are living in New York, a very competitive city. I love the idea of competition. If you don’t have competition 29

you do not evolve.”

But in a competitive city where the chef has risen to superstar heights why has he not broadened such a powerful brand?

Ripert has no time for the cult of the ‘celebrity chef’.

While he is a famous figure with a strong media presence, he prefers to spend his time in the kitchen rather than in a boardroom planning new commercial ventures. But there was a time…

“At one point we were heading towards opening more restaurants, like many of my peers,” he said. “But I didn’t enjoy spending my time on planes and trains: having extra stress, not being able to focus on my family, not being able to give 100% to Le Bernardin.”

Such a move would have detracted from family and work. “The pleasure you can have mentoring a team, making people happy in one place, the pleasure of being with your family: money cannot buy those kinds of things!

“I decided to put a halt to the projects and centre on Le 30

Bernadin. And the restaurant benefitted. It has never been so successful.”

Old school, new approach There was a time when Ripert embodied the tempestuous nature of the master chef.

“I trained in France in a way called the ‘old school method’ which basically involved abuse; being insulted all day, and even physical abuse. I really thought that was the way to train someone.

“At Le Bernardin I started applying what I was taught, thinking I was doing the right thing. I had tantrums, I was abusive (verbally, not physically). I broke dishes. I was miserable! Soon enough, the cooks started leaving and the remaining chefs in the kitchen were scared.”

Ripert was honest enough to ask himself difficult questions about his own feeling of misery and why members of the team were quitting.

“I realised it was all about me, all about being angry. I decided

to change completely, to support my team, share my knowledge, my cooking wisdom.

“We decided our kitchen would become, well not a sanctuary that would be an exaggeration, kitchens are very busy. But our kitchens are very calm. We do not tolerate abuse in this kitchen.

If someone flips, which can happen under the pressure, then that person has to apologise in front of everyone.”

Advice to young Chefs Ripert’s capacity for reflection and honesty enables him to offer valuable advice to young chefs.

“If I was 24 again, there are things I would change. Not that mistakes are bad: you learn from them. My lessons are: be kind, be yourself. Not following the trends and changing every five minutes: that’s a killer,” he said.

“When you are secure in yourself and have a clear vision of what you want to achieve, then create a loyal team around yourself.

So you have to be generous and a team player. Take good care of the people around you - they are the ones supporting you.

“My mistakes were intolerance, not being grateful for my team, insecure at times. But life is about learning and if I hadn’t made those mistakes perhaps I would never have known what I do now.”

The mentor’s mentor Ripert acknowledges that his own mentors played a huge part in shaping not just career, but his development as a person. None was more significant than Le Bernardin’s late Chef Gilbert Le Coze.

“I have had several great mentors including Gilbert Le Coze.

He taught me to be a leader in the kitchen. He said something very interesting to me: ‘look Eric, you’re young, you’re talented, you’re probably going to be successful and see yourself in magazines and on TV. My advice is: if you get a good review, read it once and put it away. If you get a bad article keep it and re-read it until you correct the mistakes!” said Ripert.

This is an article he will read only once.

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Sohm the Super Somm

New YorkTopic: Insight: Aldo Sohm Industry Words: Namai Bishop

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Namai Bishop concludes her tour of New York with a glass of something truly special. She raises it with the “World’s Best Sommelier” at his eponymous Aldo Sohm Wine Bar. He talks about his world away from Le Bernardin and why he is biased towards women when it comes to wine…

Aldo Sohm is one of the top talents world-wide in wine.

The young sommelier made a name for himself in his homeland (Best Sommelier in Austria in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006) before joining New York’s most consistently three Michelinstarred restaurant Le Bernardin in 2007 as Wine Director.

That same year saw him scoop “Best Sommelier in America” before winning the ultimate accolade “Best Sommelier in the World” the following year.

Is there a wine or a champagne vintage sufficiently noble to toast this master of the cellar?

Like the precise choice of wine, Sohm’s astonishing trajectory was perfectly paired to the close-to-perfection dining at Le Bernardin (see separate article).

There, under his direction, the restaurant received the 2009 James Beard Award for “Outstanding Wine Service”, his wine programme considered among the finest in the world.

In vino veritas, Sohm wherein lies the secret?

“Trust, that’s really the ultimate goal of the Sommelier,” he said.

“The customer must trust that person: what that person tells you to drink, you drink!”

Sohm is as precise, reliable and refined as the Zalto wine glass he swirls with practised elegance; he is the personification of a brand for which he acts as ‘ambassador’.

In September 2014 Le Bernardin’s co-owners Maguy Le Coze and Executive Chef Eric Ripert opened the Aldo Sohm Wine Bar - named in honour of their wine director.

That honour and respect is reciprocated.

“When I won Best Sommelier in the World, Maguy screamed on the phone—out of sheer happiness!” said Sohm.

“She knows everything. She measures your performance on the floor; and everything else from your precision, your ability to deal with critical situations and personal issues. She knows the numbers. She listens to customers who give feedback. She checks every invoice.

“Her discipline is the most impressive part. I always tell her that German generals are sloppy by comparison! She is also incredibly fair. She takes care of you. She demands a lot, but she 33

“By having an all-female team all of a sudden you have no more ego" Aldo Sohm

“It’s certainly not something you can do if you’re not prepared to manage a whole host of different food offerings, all with different requirements, at the same time

also gives and that’s the most impressive part.

“She is the gold standard.”

The Aldo Sohm Wine Bar and Le Bernardin are connected of course, literally through a subterranean corridor and figuratively through the super-sommelier – but they are otherwise worlds apart.

The eponymous wine bar is more cosy living room than fine dining room. While it shares the restaurant’s exacting client care standards, the ambience is more casual and convivial.

The wine lists reflect that difference.

“I have two totally different hats on: they’re not comparable at all,” said Sohm.

“At Le Bernardin we have a cellar of around 15,000 bottles, a collection that comprises 900 wine selections from 12 different countries with the emphasis on wines from the Old World regions. We focus on the classic French regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne. Of course we offer wines from all other countries too.”

By contrast, the wine bar has a more modest cellar, is more casual and aims to offer wines targeted at the casual taster.

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Likewise, the menu is a world away from Le Bernardin.

“It’s a very different menu and more tailored towards the wine bar. There’s always charcuterie and cheese offerings but we also have a very strong focus on vegetables,” said Sohm.

Just as customers at the wine bar come to learn about the magic of wine, so do staff who all train with each other.

“They study with each other,” said Sohm. “They have tasting groups, ‘family’ meals and they talk about different wines. Then one travels to a winery and shares her experiences there.

“I do a wine class with them every Thursday. We talk about the wines on the list but also about broader topics.”

It is not the wine talking, but Sohm’s wine bare features a near all-female team of sommeliers. Why? “I’m a firm believer that women taste wine better than men do,” he said. “Men have a hard time admitting it! We men make it up with training, we make it up with ego.

“By having an all-female team all of a sudden you have no more ego. They share more and communicate more strongly. So this dynamic is the culture now, and it remains even when we add in a few junior men.”

Aldo Sohm answers critical questions on wine

How challenging is it at Le Bernardin to pair wines with the mostly fish menu and what is the role of red wines?

I believe as a sommelier you have to understand the cooking style of the chef and work with it. I always start with the dish. Your playground with a seafood-focused menu gets a bit narrower, but depending on the preparation and sauce we can definitely bring a red wine in.

Sohm added: “I believe that women are better tasters. They are more thoughtful, more intuitive. I personally don’t care whether they’re men or women—I believe in the best person for the job.

They have to be good, passionate, humble and curious.”

The Aldo Sohm Wine Bar and its famed progenitor Le Bernardin are worlds apart in terms of customer perception, but there are strong links in outlook particularly when it comes to staff.

“Staff support is critical,” said Sohm. “What is important to them and what does it take for me to keep them happy and keep them tied into the restaurant? I like to keep this team happy.

You have to keep them focused, but if there are some personal problems, I pull them aside and talk with them after service.

Compassion and humility are important.”

Sohm has a reputation for mentoring in his free time as well as at work. “I was very fortunate that people helped me in their free time. I think it’s only fair, as a sign of respect, to offer this to others as well.

“You know, this is actually an American thing—together we’re strong; the more you build this up, the more you can elevate. Life is not only taking, it’s giving.”

How do you work with Chef on pairings?

We taste wines together frequently. I remember when I started at Le Bernardin Chef Ripert was drinking Bordeaux only which I found quite ironic. Once, he cooked for his wife, and he asked me to pair the wines with each course. For the main course he had an Escolar with a red wine Bearnaise, and I served a Morey St. Denis with it. Both Maître D’s came to me and told me Chef is drinking Bordeaux. I said Chef asked me for a pairing and with that dish Bordeaux doesn’t really work but I’m happy to have a bottle on hold if needed! After the event Chef said to me: “Aldo, it was a really good pairing, but I like Bordeaux!” I responded: “Chef, you asked me to pair with your menu. The next time please give me a lamb or beef and I’ll happily pair it with Bordeaux!”

In a city renowned for its cocktail culture how do you make wine more appealing?

The Cocktail culture has shifted quite a bit over the last couple of years. It’s very fashionable to drink and explore wine now.

This trend has also become popular because it is more health conscious, the alcohol levels being usually much lower in wine than in cocktails.

What trends are you seeing amongst consumers of wine?

People increasingly look for wine with freshness and moderate alcohol levels. The rosé market is still strong. “New” wines from the Iberian Peninsula are very popular right now. People are increasingly looking for wines from smaller artisanal producers.

35

New York Insight Jean-George Vongerichten Words:Namai Bishop

Jean-George Vongerichten “They say what goes around comes around: it was 1986, I was a young Chef dreaming the American dream, newly arrived in this great city. The Fulton Fish Market was one of the first places I visited. Over over 30 years later, I’m right back here!”

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49 31 37

Namai Bishop is first to catch the freshest Manhattan opening, meeting Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at his first seafood eatery The Fulton - anchor restaurant at Manhattan’s historic South Street Seaport. The renaissance of the district includes the largest concentration of restored early 19th century commercial buildings in the city. But catching the finest fish is still the art it always was.

“They say what goes around comes around,” said renowned international chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. “It was 1986 and I was a young chef dreaming the American dream, newly arrived in this great city. The Fulton Fish Market was one of the first places I visited. More than 30 years later, I’m right back here!”

Chef Vongerichten was speaking at his latest restaurant, opened barely weeks ago and already promising to be one of the iconic spots in the city that never sleeps. Neither do the chefs who are calling the fishing boats late to get the best of the catch next morning.

The Fulton takes pride of place at Manhattan’s historic South Street Seaport, a heritage project by the Howard Hughes Corporation to revitalise this long-neglected part of the city.

Located on Pier 17, the restaurant sits right on the water, encompassing two levels and more than 100 seats, including an outdoor patio.

The views from its wide-frame portholes provide breathtaking vistas of high rise 38

Like a noble salmon returning home

buildings, bridges and life on the East River. The sparkle of skyscraper lights reflected in the water, reminds diners with every glance (and every bite), that seafood here is king.

“I have gone back to the place where I learned about fresh fish,” said Vongerichten. “The Fulton is my homage to the original Fulton Fish Market. Back then the Union Square farmers market was not as popular.

“I remember vividly Gilbert Le Coze, the original chef and owner of Le Bernardin, showing me around.” Chef looked with pride at his restaurant now located in that same location.

The locale became a magnet for the young chef who back then visited the original Fulton Fish Market most days.

Chef was hooked, line and sinker.

An old salmon swimming back home?

“An upstream struggle, maybe...but old I’m not” said Chef with a dazzling smile; the trademark Vong-Charm an everstrong current!

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The late bird catches the best fish It’s 11:30pm and Chef Vongerichten is still in the kitchen, before moving to the bar to sample dishes.

“He’s here himself four or five times a week - he’s super-dedicated to this project,” explained the waiter.

Vongerichten is in animated conversation with executive chef Noah Poses, formerly of The Modern and the Watergate Hotel.

Poses explained: “The brief was simple: keep it simple! It’s all about sourcing the best ingredients. Let the fish speak for itself, not too much messing around.”

Sourcing the best fish comes down to a small is beautiful philosophy, according to 40

Vongerichten.

“We only work with small boats that leave in the morning and come back at noon, not big boats that leave Monday and come back Friday. When you buy the best quality you don’t have to do much to it.’’

Executive sous chef Stephen Blake, who like Poses worked previously at The Modern said: “Having worked together before, it makes communication swift and easy: when we’re given instructions, we don’t need to spend time and energy interpreting things between us. We just get it.

“So when the brief was simply quality fresh fish, we just know what to do immediately, no messing around.”

At midnight, the serious business is just starting. Said Blake: “Right now is when I start calling my small boat suppliers.

Some restaurants work with four or so suppliers in total. That and more is the number of suppliers we use for our raw bar menu alone!”

Work continues as late as the Manhattan night lights stay on: “I’ll be making calls and intermittently, responses come back from now until 6am. It’s a real fight to get the best, freshest fish!” Small boat fishing this may be but the scramble for sourcing quality is a struggle.”

Battleship proportions, it seems!

Ship Shape means no ‘bad tables’

“I am going back to the place where I learned about fresh fish,” Chef Jean-George Vongerichten

The Fulton fits perfectly into its riverine surroundings, outside and within.

Surrounded by hand-painted murals of sea life and hanging lights swaying above tables that resemble bobbing buoys, there are panoramic views across the bustling river path and of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

The decor comes courtesy of interior design team Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu of Yabu Pushelberg who designed the nautical space as an underthe-sea fantasy against an unusual pastel-hued palette.

“Each room is suited with subtle, unexpected details that collectively tell the story of the pier’s past,” said Yabu,

“from the floors mimicking the pattern of the dock, to a sea of ceramic light pendants and fixtures that reference the harbour.”

One of the firm’s designers said the aim was to avoid the obvious. “The biggest challenge was wrapping our heads around how to design a seafood restaurant that isn’t kitsch,” he said.

“It’s easy to fall into clichés when you’re designing a seafood restaurant. People expect fish nets and pictures of sea creatures all over the walls. We needed to elevate this idea and create a design language worthy of Jean-Georges and this location.”

Whether it is the extensive yacht-like

exterior dining area or its interiors, the designer pointed to a feature he and the team were particularly proud of.

“There’s no restaurant-seating Siberia here!” he said, meaning the space has been designed so there is no ‘bad table’ in the house.

A matchless catch of the Day A glistening marble oyster bar dominates the upstairs dining room. A dedicated raw bar selection presents the freshest catches, including East Coast oysters, Peekytoe crab lettuce cups, Littleneck clams, razor clams marinated in lemon and Serrano chilli, and live scallops with cucumber and Kombu.

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Like a homage to Jean-Georges’ adopted city, New York is celebrated on the appetiser menu with a dedicated Manhattan clam chowder fired up with a spicy sauce.

But this is a menu designed by the ‘global gourmand’ himself, whose ‘fleet’ of world-wide restaurants probably outnumbers the small fishing boats of New York. So taking a lead from Asia, Chef presents Bouchot Mussels steamed in a lemongrass infusion with dried chilli and Thai basil. Diverse but always delicate, the flavours of the crispy soft 42

shell crab served whole and drizzled with a Jalapeño coriander salsa and freshened with shaved radish was tantalising.

Pastas and rice options are kept brief but showcase a variety of freshest seafood, like the home-made tagliatelle with cockles, the king crab and green pea risotto or the ‘Longevity’ noodles with Maine lobster with pea shoots, green chilli and served glistening with a ginger glaze.

Plant-based dishes star as well - not a surprise given Jean-Georges’ remarkable vegetarian and vegan Manhattan dining room ACB Kitchen. A salad of

fresh kale, at once crunchy yet creamy, showed flavour and texture balance with its combination of peas, fava beans, avocado, pecorino and an excellent herbal dressing.

Freshest asparagus was paired with the classic combination of grated egg and a grainy mustard dressing and again, given an added creamy texture with the addition of perfectly ripe avocado.

Main courses feature true Jean-Georges global style, first via his native France: a rich fish stew thickened with Aïoli.

Next Italy, with roasted monkfish

medallions and Calabrian chilli, lemon, capers and crispy potatoes; and a move further East with a whole Black Sea bass en croute. Then, a return culinary journey via Asia with a succulent Salmon filet crusted with spices and finished with a fragrant broth of coconut lime infusion and the aniseed freshness of braised fennel.

A chef with an insatiable appetite Vongerichten, in his late 60’s, is the chef behind dozens of projects over the last four decades, but he has no plans to slow

down.

“We have lots of talented young chefs and we have lots of partners who approach us with amazing concepts,’’ he said. “If it’s an interesting project, I want to do it.’’

scheduled to open in two years.

The idea is “Chelsea Market meets Harrods meets Eataly but with a very antique New York market feel,” he said.

Given the Chef’s hands-on approach at all his restaurants, his attention to detail will continue at the huge food hall Where next? where he will take personal charge of The answer is right on his doorstep: picking each chef, lines of equipment and Vongerichten plans to follow up the South produce from pizza, rotisserie, sushi, and Street Seaport Fulton project with a coffee suppliers that will be featured.

44,000-square-foot food hall nearby in In the city that never sleeps, this everthe landmark Tin Building. The project, vibrant chef is clearly not ready to hang designed by Roman & Williams, is up his whites just yet!

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Industry Topic: The Enviornment Words:James Curran, Development Director Kingspan’s Business

From FOG to Fu

How companies are helping chefs manage FOG waste through smart technology and creating biofuel to power the UK’s future energy needs Blockages along the UK’s sewer network, caused in part by kitchen fat, oil and grease waste, are reaching epidemic proportions.

While most of us will be aware of the giant ‘fatbergs’ which hit the headlines periodically, in reality there are hundreds of thousands of smaller blockages each year, which collectively are causing huge disruption to local businesses and residents, and are costing millions of pounds to clear.

Wet wipes may be cited as one of the main constituents of fatbergs and blockages, but that’s not to lose sight of the role played by fat, oil and grease (FOG) waste generated by domestic and commercial kitchens. Preventing this waste from entering drains and sewers should be a priority if we are to win the fight against fatbergs.

Current solutions to the problem have proved to be expensive, ineffective and messy. However moves are now afoot to transform the management of FOG waste, to capture it more effectively and cheaply at source, and (even more excitingly) turn it from a waste product into a viable source of energy.

Laying Waste to FOG Britain’s sewers are, by and large, a miracle of Victorian engineering. But, designed and developed more than 150 years ago, they were never designed to cope with the loading currently placed on them. As a result, there are around 366,000 sewer blockages per year (1,000 per week) across the UK, and it’s estimated that up to 70% of them are caused by FOG. Thames Water is now reported to be spending a £1 million per month on clearing sewer blockages.

To understand the reason why FOG waste is a problem we need to understand the physical properties of fat, oil and grease. The FOG enters the drains when it’s poured down kitchen sinks. There, it cools and congeals, binding together solids in the sewer and adhering to any object in its path, including the inside of drainage pipes. This sticky mess creates ‘fatbergs’ such as the Sidmouth colossus which, when it was discovered, was the size of a Boeing 747 (January 8, 2019). Thousands of tonnes of FOG are believed to be in the sewer at any one time.

Sewer blockages are not just a nasty-smelling nuisance, they can also lead 44

to huge (and expensive) disruption for businesses including food outlets. Customer washrooms and kitchens may be closed during clean-ups and those responsible will have to foot a large bill to pay for it all.

For food service outlets that rely on very slender margins, a sewer blockage can spell disaster.

FOG Management All chefs are legally obliged to manage their FOG waste, capturing it before it enters the drains, otherwise they run the risk of prosecution under Section III of the Water Industry Act 1991.

Building Regulations in fact state that kitchens in commercial hot food premises should be fitted with a BS EN1825 compliant grease separator or other effective means of grease removal.

Offenders can be prosecuted by water companies, who are increasingly deploying FOG Enforcement teams alongside Environmental Health Officers to visit food service companies that have been identified as having lax management procedures around grease management. This level of scrutiny is undoubtedly going to rise as water companies seek to limit their liabilities in this area.

However, the existence of relevant legislation and the threat of prosecution has clearly not been sufficient thus far in preventing blockages from happening.

One of the reasons is probably a basic lack of clarity and understanding among chefs about FOG management guidelines that are neither specific nor consistent. In short, the law is not well enough understood by those to whom it applies

Fuelling Britain and there is too little awareness around the need for individual responsibility and action to ensure FOG is managed at source.

This extends to widespread confusion as to what constitutes the best solutions given the myriad of options on offer, which include enzyme dosing, GRU (passive and active), grease traps and separators - not all of which will comply with EN 1825 standards. Added to which grease management standards have not been clearly laid down despite (or because of the fact that) a number of industry bodies seeking to take the lead on developing standards. This attempt at clarity has in reality only added to the muddle.

There is another pertinent issue, which is that grease traps – so often the go-to solution for collection and disposal of FOG – are not a fitand-forget solution. They have to be periodically emptied to prevent them overflowing. Emptying a grease trap is a horrible job, and one that causes considerable disruption in a kitchen, so it’s perhaps not surprising that compliance with good practice can be patchy.

Emergency responses to local obstructions, which typically involve plunging blockages or pouring boiling water down the sink, simply add to the problem by pushing it further underground.

Safe Disposal of FOG It’s fair to say that the situation regarding sewer blockages will probably only change if there is collective action across the industry, with everyone coming together to combat this growing menace.

As we’ve made indicated, traditional grease

traps have major shortcomings and, of themselves, are not necessarily the best answer to managing FOG. But we are now seeing the growth of more efficient traps and integrated smart technology, which together will make the FOG management cleaner, quicker and cheaper, as well far more sustainable.

Essentially, these remove the need for manual measuring and monitoring of FOG waste. The technology is connected to an off-site servicing team who can monitor traps remotely and respond directly when a trap needs emptying.

There is documented evidence that, alongside good kitchen practices and staff training, this technology is helping lower costs by reducing pump-out frequency, as well as clearing pipes and drains.

FOG as Fuel While removing FOG from our drains is an imperative, we should also consider whether our perception of it as waste is correct.

FOG is, in fact, an energy-rich potential source of fuel and can be used as the bio-component for high grade, sustainable diesel for fleet operators. It also offers an attractive payback for food outlets, in partnership with strategic biofuel manufacturers.

Until now, such a solution has been commercially unviable because tanker companies could not remotely monitor FOG levels in individual kitchens.

But by remotely gathering information on FOG waste levels in grease traps through this smart technology, they can decide when to empty grease traps, allowing them to plan their routes accordingly. It also means that chefs and kitchen managers will save money by allowing proactive tankering – a process that avoids the premiums charged with reactive tankering.

It’s not impossible to see a future where tanker companies get paid by bio-fuel companies for the FOG they collect and deliver and given the projected 15% yield, or about 40 litres of fuel per trap, the payback time would be quick.

The government is pushing for a more circular economy, reducing, reusing and recycling our resources for a more sustainable future. This solution fits in neatly, shifting what some would term ‘a moral scandal’ of throwing away a highly useful source of energy.

All it takes is a simple shift in thinking and we have an opportunity that will lower greenhouse gas emissions, ensure the UK’s future (bio-)energy security, and give a commercial value to FOG disposal.

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Industry News

The Stars are Shining all over Asia The first MICHELIN Guide Beijing to be launched on 28 November Michelin is pleased to announce that the first edition of the MICHELIN Guide Beijing will be launched in the city on 28 November 2019.

Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guides, said: "Beijing’s cuisine, with its well-chosen ingredients and rich seasonings, is a jewel in the crown of Chinese and global cuisine. We hope that with this new MICHELIN Guide, more food lovers will come to appreciate Beijing's abundant food culture and experience the wonderful flavours it has to offer.”

With more than 3,000 years of history as an urban center and more than 800 years as a capital city, Beijing not only 46

integrates the culinary cultures of all ethnic groups in China, but also offers a selection of cuisines from all over the world. In addition to the numerous well-known restaurants catering to local tastes, there are also many fine dining eateries offering dishes from the eight major regional Chinese cuisines, as well as foreign cuisine.

The MICHELIN Guide was first published in 1900 and was intended to provide the first car owners with information on places to stay and eat. It has now grown into a world-renowned guide, with the release of a MICHELIN Guide having a positive impact on the local culinary and tourism industries in the countries and regions they cover. According to the latest study released by Ernst & Young, 57% of frequent travellers said that they would extend their stay in a city if it offered a selection of Michelin-starred restaurants.

And in addition, the existence of Michelin-starred restaurants encourages 71% of frequent travellers to increase their spending.

In 1926, the MICHELIN Guide incorporated the star rating system, which is updated and published annually.

It is based on anonymous evaluations

by Michelin’s team of independent inspectors, and uses five global criteria applied in all restaurants across all countries and regions: the quality of the produce; the cooking skills; the harmony of the flavours; the personality of the chef expressed in the cuisine; and consistency both over time and across the entire menu.

More and mo

Michelin is pleased to unveil the selection of the MICHELIN Guide Shanghai 2020.

130 establishments, including a record 40 starred restaurants, are honored in this fourth edition dedicated to the dining scene of China's largest city, whose reputation has spread across borders since the MICHELIN Shanghai Guide was published for the first time.

Paul Pairet’s Ultraviolet remains part of the elite of local and world gastronomy with the coveted three stars. Once again, Michelin Guide inspectors appreciated the incredible trip offered by this avant-garde chef who takes his ten privileged daily clients to a secret location in order to give them an unusual sensory and taste experience. The highlight of this adventure is obviously the tasting of twenty-two dishes that perfectly symbolize the inventiveness of their creator. “Paul Pairet’s cuisine has been awarded three stars for three years now and this is a testament to the open-mindedness of the Michelin guide, whose one of universal judging criteria is the personality of the chef through his

Who's in

ore stars in Shanghai’s sky plates, and also show the expertise and the extreme sensitivity of its inspectors”, notes Gwendal Poullennec. In the wake of this reference, eight establishments also illuminate Shanghai dining scene with their two stars. Among these addresses praised for the refinement of their plates, two are promoted to this rank for the first time. Ji Pin Court serves Cantonese cuisine with subtle modern touches.

For example, the chef uses spring water to make his soups and honey from a tropical tree to lacquer his meat. In Taian Table, the twenty guests have the unique opportunity to marvel at the chef's work, who shapes perfectly balanced, varied and original dishes in front of them.

The megalopolis’ culinary offer is also enriched by six more one-star restaurants compared to the previous edition of the Michelin guide Shanghai. Among these 31, 9 are new. Sichuanese inspired at Yu Zhi Lan, Cantonese influenced at Ming Court and Jin Xuan or typically Shanghainese as in the plates prepared by the chef of the restaurant Chen Long

Hang, the offer also extends far beyond the borders : Da Vittorio's cuisine brings Italian tonalities and the French accent is easy to recognize in the quail meurette of Maison Lameloise. Bao Li Xuan, Moose and Xin Rong Ji are also are part of these newly awarded one-star restaurants by our anonymous and independent inspectors.

"With a record number of 40 starred restaurants, representing 30% of the 2020 selection, Shanghai is confirming the development and upscaling of its gastronomic scene along the Bund, in Pudong and elsewhere in the city”, “With 31 types of cuisine rewarded in the pages of the Guide, this selection also highlights the great diversity offered to gourmets, with tables that perfectly represent local cuisine and others that offer flavors from around the world. Our teams of experts and international inspectors were also pleased to observe the attention given to the choice of ingredients, the quality of service and the richness of the wine list, all worthy of international standards

1 three stars restaurant Ultraviolet 8 two stars restaurants Canton 8 Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine Ji Pin Court L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana Taian Table Xin Rong Ji YongFoo Elite 31 one star restaurants Amazing Chinese Cuisine Bao Li Xuan Cheng Long Hang Da Dong Da Dong Da Vittorio Fu He Hui Il Ristorante – Niko Romito Jade Mansion Jean Georges Jin Xuan Lao Zheng Xing Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire Le Patio & La Famille Lei Garden Pudong Lei Garden Xuhui Maison Lameloise Ming Court Moose Changning Moose Pudong Phénix Seventh Son Shang-High Cuisine Sir Elly’s T’ang Court Wujie Xin Rong Ji Yi Long Court Yong Fu Yong Yi Ting Yu Zhi Lan. 47

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Singapore gets two Three-MICHELIN-starred restaurants Michelin announce the selection of the MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2019, in which two restaurants are honored with three stars. This is the first time since the launch of the Singapore edition of the Michelin Guide in 2016 that the supreme distinction has been awarded to two establishments in the city-state. In the previous edition of the guide, there was no three-starred restaurant.

"With two of its establishments promoted to a three-star ranking, Singapore is clearly positioned as a leading

gastronomic destination,". “Getting a three star is always a singular moment in a chef’s life and I am convinced that’s the same feeling for a city or a country.

With this historic first, which completes an already extensive culinary scene, Singapore enters a new dimension to the eyes and palate of food lovers. As for the Michelin Guide, it confirms by awarding its highest distinction to the outstanding cuisine of Odette and Les Amis, its ability to evaluate and promote exceptional tables” Opened in 1994 and firmly established as a culinary institution in Singapore, Les Amis has reached excellence.

Chef Sébastien Lepinoy, guided by an impressive attention to the smallest

detail, offers a contemporary cuisine of French inspiration that sublimates high-quality products. The wine list, with more than 3,000 references, is rightly considered one of the most dazzling in the Asian continent.

Also located in the city centre, in the former Supreme Court building, restaurant Odette, so named by chef Julien Royer to honor his grandmother, emphasizes a comprehensive experience in a discreet and intimate setting as elegant as the setting of the plates.

International flavors and subtle Asian touches perfectly match with highly mastered French technique here.

Beyond their common French inspiration, these two new three-star awardees are connected by a know-how and a deep respect for the terroir and its products, carefully selected by the two chefs and their teams.

With five two-star establishments.

Alongside Shisen Hanten, Shoukouwa and Waku Ghin, who were already honored at this level last year, two restaurants are accessing it for the first time. Saint Pierre confirms the quality of its dishes, which were already awarded a star last year for their perfect balance.

Zén makes a remarkable entry into the selection by getting directly two stars thanks to a modern cuisine deliciously mixing Nordic origins and Asian flavors.

Finally, 37 restaurants in Singapore are awarded one star. 7 of them are new entrants. Basque Kitchen by Aitor, Jag, Lerouy, Table65 and Vianney Massot, all of European inspiration, as well as Cheek Bistro and Meta with their Australian origins, join the prestigious circle of MICHELIN starred restaurants. Two of the numerous establishments awarded with a Plate (“L’Assiette”) MICHELIN last year are promoted to one star in this 2019 edition : Buona Terra, where Italian tradition reigns, and Terra, who adds to it

Who's In

Three stars Les Amis Odette Two stars Saint Pierre the richness of fresh Japanese products.

Shisen Hanten Shoukouwa Waku Ghin Zén.

One star Alma Basque Kitchen by Aitor Béni, Braci Buona Terra Burnt Ends Candlenut Cheek Bistro Chef Kang’s Corner House Cut Garibaldi Hawker Chan Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodl Iggy’s Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine Jaan by Kirk Westaway Jag Jiang-Nan Chun Labyrinth Lei Garden Lerouy Ma Cuisine Meta, Nouri Putien Rhubarb Shinji (Bras Basah Road) Shinji (Tanglin Road) Summer Palace Summer Pavilion Sushi Ichi, Sushi Kimura Table65, Terra, The Song of India Vianney Massot.

49

TALK Leeman TALK TO TO THE THE CHEF: CHEF: Pietro Peter Tempelhoff Words:Namai Words: NamaiBishop Bishop

48 30 50 16 16

A FYN Affair

49 31 51

52

Peter Tempelhoff and Ashley Moss

Namai Bishop International Editor talks to one of South Africa’s leading Chefs Peter Tempelhoff as he unveils his new ‘FYN dining’ concept.

“No! Not Fine but FYN!” pronounced like grain but with an "f" Peter Tempelhoff corrects me as we sit together in Cape Town, the location of his already hugely successful urban fine dining eatery. “It’s the Afrikaans word for ‘fine’ but I like to think of it as the better half of the word Fynbos” (the indigenous shrub that is grown in the Western and Eastern Cape).

The name is testament to this Chef’s pride in his South African heritage. “It’s reflective of the dining concept we’ve created - plus I like to think it’s rather ‘fine’ too!” he chuckles.

Indeed, this is a Chef who has a lot to smile about: for the past decade he’s been

spearheading the South Africa dining scene as group Chef for the Liz McGrath Collection Hotels’ not one, but four, restaurants. Loved by Capetonians and tourists alike, his eateries are a beacon for those who want to experience the best in South African fine-dining but in a relaxed environment.

I meet the Chef on his home turf in Cape Town, on the very week it is announced that he is embarking on the next stage of his Relais & Châteaux journey at the city’s most exclusive boutique hotel, Ellerman House. As Culinary Director and mentor to Executive Chef Grant Daniels and his team, Tempelhoff will be responsible for

catering to the hotel’s discerning clientele.

"My dad's South African; I'm a product of this environment and so is my food," he told me, as we strolled the manicured lawn of the hotel overlooking the city and the vast ocean beyond. Indeed, he’s crafted a new menu and an exclusive dining experience for the hotel, showcasing the best in local produce alongside the high quality imported ingredients. “What I love is to harmonise local ingredients with unexpected international touches, creating a multi textured, balance of powerful flavours, such as my dish of Karoo lamb with sweetbreads, Parmesan pap, spekboom 53

Carrot, Karoo Truffle and Scallop

Tea smoked duck, fermented pear, binchotan dressing, miso aubergine

and pickled honey, gremolata and jus gras” he told me.

An Urban Oasis At FYN, Tempelhoff switches scenery, with a bold move back to the bustle of the city centre. With its enviable rooftop position and polished aesthetic, FYN is Peter Tempelhoff’s answer to gourmands’ insatiable search for the epitome of culinary je ne sais quoi. Indeed, FYN is as groundbreaking as its contextual surroundings: restoration of Cape Town’s historic Speakers Corner, replete with heritage buildings, is underway and Tempelhoff is an anchor tenant of this new development.

The original interiors of the dining space have been creatively remastered and given new life; similarly, the Chef is reworking 54

local and traditional elements and creating something completely new with this latest dining concept. “We engineered every inch of FYN; it’s a meticulous realisation of a dream I’ve had since I started cooking. Even then, I dreamt of a restaurant where the menu would incorporate taste variations of the same ingredient on one plate” he tells me.

Working alongside Tempelhoff are two of South Africa’s most revered professionals – Ashley Moss (formerly head Chef at Greenhouse) and Jennifer Hugé (formerly front of house manager at the famed winelands eatery La Colombe) – who bring with them the well-honed expertise necessary to maintain the standards a discerning

Yuzu, raspberry, puffed rice, white chocolate

Tuna, Tomato ponzu, shio kombu, fermented tofu

clientele demands.

The design of the Cape Town restaurant echoes the style of cuisine on offer, with its mix of Afro-Japanese decor. Japanese and African cultures have after all, many similar design elements, incorporating materials such as dark woods, raw rope, textured ceramics, natural beads and raw stone. A vast mural dominates the back wall which depicts a hybrid AfricanJapanese warrior woman carrying the symbolic birds of the two nations. As colorful as Ashley’s own tattoos., it was no surprise to learn it was done by his same tattoo artist.

This Afro-Asian mix is present too on diners’ plates. The menu, laced with umami-rich local and Japanese ingredients,

including wakame (edible seaweed), daikon and Koji (a type of fungus commonly used in fermentation, like in the conversion of soybean to sauce) and furikake (a dry Japanese seasoning usually sprinkled on top of cooked rice, vegetables, and fish and consisting of a mixture of dried fish, sesame seeds, chopped seaweed, sugar and salt).

The tasting menu starts with a Bento box selection of miniature canapés. Each varied in taste and textures, like crispy sweet Karoo lamb samosa with lemon archar or the daikon and octopus with creamy ink mayonnaise, are all prepared with oragami-like intricacy and meticulously conceived to awaken the palate and indeed all the senses. Then follows a Kaiseki 55

Kaiseki Tray of Starters Tuna, broad bean tamari, kelp Prawn, waterblometjie Karoo truffle glazed sweetbreads and Carrot salad

Tray of assorted starters. Each dish, one hot starter and several cold, arrive in hand crafted ceramics, like the grainy half-oyster dish containing the luscious seafood Cale Malay ‘Somen’ (squid cleverly disguised by being precisely cut into noodle shapes). Another may be the dish of daikon maki (his own three year pickled radish) with salted cherry blossom or crispy chewy rice with local white fish served with aged soy sauce, wasabi and dashi aioli or the game fish with seaweed dressing, koji cucumber and Katsuobushi (a triple preparation of dried, fermented and smoked skipjack tuna).

Next on the FYN set menu, the main plate, featuring again, local ingredients with Japanese touches, such as grass-fed beef with green bean ‘risotto’ umami jus and crispy sweetbread.

Final act: another selection, this time Sweet Kaiseki featuring Madagascan chocolate, salted Japanese plums and fennel ice cream or another of blueberries with yuzu and coconut, (that paired well with the honey-sweet local Klein Constantia Vin de Constance).

Whilst South African ingredients form the basis of the larder, they are painstakingly dressed, as dazzling as an elaborately textured Japanese Kimono. The concept behind Kaiseki dining is to engage all of the five senses, and this Chef Tempelhoff 56

does with aplomb in the most striking of his dishes, though not really a course per se but more a palate cleanser. We watch as a small bowl filled with dainty edible flower petals and herbs, is transformed right before our eyes using liquid-nitrogen into a brittle, bubbling, fizzing, frozen sculpture. Requiring a further dramatic element of customer interaction we were advised to grind the contents with a pestle before a refreshing celery sorbet was added atop. This one dish epitomises what the Chef is doing here: engaging our eyes, our hands, our ears as well as our sense of smell and taste in an interactive show.

The talented sommeliers continue the storytelling with an expert pairing of both regional wines and international labels, with the strong flavours on the menu particularly well matched to the zing and adaptability of the Reisling varietal.

A Japanese-Afro marriage made in heaven?

Why the Japanese turn for what was a quintessentially South African Chef, I ask him.

Tempelhoff’s answer comes chiefly from his own travel experience and more practically, of what he believes modern city diners are now really after. He explains “Being a city restaurant, people are busy and tend to want an impactful experience

Karoo lamb, lacto-sago, wakame seaweed 57

Tuna, broad bean tamari, kelp 58

without investing time in a drawn-out tasting menu experience.”

He continues “Our challenge was to create a tasting menu that can be experienced in two hours, and we looked to Japan for the answer. By serving the starter and dessert courses on small Kaiseki trays, we are able to offer the guest a multisensory experience of three or four courses at the same time, shortening the dining experience considerably.”

Chef Tempelhoff has met the challenge by celebrating local produce spiked with powerful Japanese and regional flavours, served in an novel format. “We’re bringing the boldness and vibrancy that’s essential in a cosmopolitan city restaurant!”.

Kitchen dining This drama that the Chef speaks of is evidenced also in the kitchen design. “When say open-plan, we really mean openplan!” he exclaims animatedly as he raises his hands out wide before us: the majority of the restaurant comprises the kitchen and prep areas, dominating the entire central dining space itself. “We want diners to feel part of this theatre, to come up, talk to us, watch the culinary show unfold!”. The show’s royal-box is undoubtedly the Kitchen Counter as Chef affectionately calls it, where those not so time-strapped city dwellers can indulge in a more drawn out 14-dish tasting experience prepared before their eyes.

As I sit at this ‘Kitchen Counter’ talking to the Chef as he preps in the kitchen, the sunset casting shadows over Lion’s Head before us, the bustle of the old Square and stunning rooftop vistas of Table Mountain, I can think of no more inviting table in South Africa right now.

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Dr. Johann Siegert

It all started in 1824, when founder Dr. Johann Siegert first produced Aromatic Bitters as a medicinal tincture designed to alleviate stomach ailments.

Originally known as “Amargo Aromatico” Angostura® Aromatic Bitters has now become a by word for Chefs and Mixologists alike as an integral ingredient in food and cocktails.

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Cookbooks

Recipes

Signature dishes that Matter Ferrandi Paris Chocolate

Spotted Dick : Sweetings United Kingdom Tempering Chocolate Techniques Dark Chocolate Macarons: Ferrandi Paris Chocolate Miso Consomme with Scallops and Foie Gras: Antony Scholtmeyer Massaman Curry Dungeness “Crab Cake”: Eric Ripert 61

RECIPE BOOK

Signature Dishes That Matter Curated by Susan Jung, Howie Kahn, Christine Muhlke, Pat Nourse, Andrea Petrini, Diego Salazar and Richard Vines.

Narrative texts by Christine Muhlke. Foreword by Mitchell Davis.

"The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of mankind than the discovery of a star.”

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin Signature dishes are the master brushstroke of those few individuals who have created something that goes on to shape the way we eat and cook. While the social media buzz of restaurants or the incessant discussion about new dishes that everyone clamours to eat might seem like a modern phenomenon, restaurant dishes have been enticing people out, infuencing home cooking, and causing a sensation since the first restaurants opened in the 18th century.

For the first time, Signature Dishes That Matter offers a history of gastronomy, told through the most iconic restaurant dishes from the past three centuries – those that have sparked new culinary movements, created turning points and driven developments. Organized chronologically, it is both a landmark cookbook and a fascinating cultural history of dining out.

Part recipe book, part travel guide and part encyclopedia of gastromony,

Signature Dishes That Matter reveals the fascinating stories behind over 200 restaurant creations from more than 180 chefs across 30 countries. An international panel of award-winning journalists, editors, food critics and writers were tasked with researching and selecting the most influential dishes, spanning from the first ever gelato created in 1686 to the now iconic Whole Turbot served up

by Brat in 2018. For this book, they have sourced many of the closely guarded and never-before-seen recipes, which serve as an intriguing insight into the creation of these dishes.

Specially commissioned illustrations are by renowned artist and trained chef Adriano Rampazzo. His hand-painted watercolours are presented alongside illuminating texts, giving the historical context of each dish. These include Auguste Escof er’s Peach Melba at The Savoy; Jiro Ono’s Sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro and Pierre Koffmann’s Stuffed Pig’s Trotters with Morels at La Tante Claire. Alongside these are the casual signature dishes that we take for granted; from the Hawaiian Pizza and Francis Coulson’s Sticky Toffee Pudding, to the famous Spotted Dick from Sweetings in London, Bill Granger’s Avocado Toast and Le Beccherie’s accidental creation of Tiramisu.

Signature Dishes That Matter is a history of gastronomy in 240 dishes. Bringing

these iconic foods to life, it is an unmissable addition to the bookshelf of any food lover who is captivated by the rich history of restaurant culture.

About the Contributors Signature Dishes That Matter is curated by an award-winning international team, including: Susan Jung, senior food and wine editor of the South China Morning Post; Howie Kahn, writer and contributing editor for WSJ magazine; Christine Muhlke, writer and editor-at-large at Bon Appétit; Pat Nourse, culinary writer and critic; Andrea Petrini, writer, critic, and culinary creative; Diego Salazar, journalist and editor; and Richard Vines, chief food critic at Bloomberg. With narrative texts by Christine Muhlke and a foreword

by Mitchell Davis, chief strategy officer of the James Beard Foundation.

Crab Omelet Supinya Junsuta Raan Jay Fai Thailand 1980s To make this secret Thai recipe, we suggest that first you wear ski goggles and a black cap as the chef does, and to make this alone without any help, as she does too. You will need lots of oil, plus crab meat in just a bit of egg and flour.

Make one omelet at a time.

62

RECIPE

Spotted Dick

Sweetings United Kingdom 1889

Ingredients

Method

For the spotted dick 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour 20 g (4 teaspoons) baking powder 300 g (11 oz) shredded suet 150 g (5 oz) caster (superfine) sugar 350 g (12 oz) currants 2 lemons, zest only 600 ml (1 pint) milk

For the spotted dick Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl; add the suet, caster (superfine) sugar, currants and lemon zest. Mix to combine.

Add the milk and mix to a soft dough.

Pipe the mix into small basins and place a small circle of greaseproof (wax) paper on top before closing with a lid.

Place in a steamer and steam for approximately an hour.

For the custard 400 ml (14 fl oz) milk 400 ml (14 fl oz) double (heavy) cream 12 free-range egg yolks 150 g (5 oz) caster (superfine) sugar

For the custard Place the milk and cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Place the egg yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk together until light and frothy. Pour on the hot milk and stir well. Pour the mix back into the pan and cook over a low heat until just thickened, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

Serve with the puddings.

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64

MASSAMAN CURRY

RECIPE

INGREDIENT: Lotus Thai Curry Pastes A new range of authentic Thai Curry Pastes has just been launched under the Lotus brand.

5 exciting new curry pastes – Thai Green, Red, Panang, Massaman & Yellow are available in 1kg & 400g resealable tubs.

Produced in Thailand & where possible sourced using local ingredients, the range is free from artificial flavourings, colours and preservatives.

The range is primarily focused on Thai restaurants who are heavy users of all 5 pastes. Did you know a Thai restaurant can use up to 60kg of Thai Curry Paste per week!* Pre-launch consumer testing showed an overwhelming positive response to the new brand introduction, with 72% of consumers stating that they would recommend a Thai Restaurant that uses Lotus Thai Curry Pastes. ** Lotus is a Westmill owned brand since 2006 & is currently distributed across over 100 accounts. The existing product range includes a diverse portfolio from bamboo shoots to spices with

Ingredients:

the introduction of Thai pastes helping to build further equity for the Lotus brand.

The launch is being supported with a heavy-weight marketing campaign to drive awareness, trial & purchase. Features are due to appear across Thai press & digital platforms from September, while a nationwide conversion campaign will kick-off in Thai Restaurants during October. In addition, in-store point of sale coupled with regional sampling & launch events will give additional prominence to the launch.

Please keep an eye out in your local Asian/Oriental supermarket for Lotus Thai curry pastes & due to popular demand they will also be listed in the Westmill Staff Shop very soon! * Sources – Westmill Research 2018, Westmill Consumer Testing 2019

Directions:

50g Lotus Massaman curry paste 400ml coconut milk (1 tin) 1 medium onion (chopped) 1 large potato boiled and diced 500g of fully cooked sliced meat (chicken/pork/lamb/beef/seafood or beancurd) Sprinkle of peanuts (optional) 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp light soy sauce ½ tbsp tamarin extract 200-250ml chicken/vegetable stock (water may be used as a substitute)

Pour the vegetable oil into the wok at medium heat.

Add the Lotus curry paste, stirring gently until it blends with the oil.

Add coconut milk and approx. 200-250ml of stock (depending on preference of a thick/thin sauce). More stock can be added if required.

Add in sugar, soy sauce, tamarin extract, peanuts (optional), onions and potatoes.

Then add the cooked meat until cooked through.

Finally simmer for 10 mins on a low heat - if lamb or beef is used then more cooking time is required until the meat is tender.

65

RECIPE BOOK

CHOCOLATE Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Arts By FERRANDI PARIS This is the ultimate reference on cooking with chocolate from Ferrandi, the Parisian school of culinary arts that was dubbed the “Harvard of gastronomy” by Le Monde newspaper.

This book – a complete chocolate course for the home chef from the world-renowned professional culinary school Ferrandi Paris – presents comprehensive techniques for working with chocolate, from tempering and decorative flourishes to recipes such as the Opéra pastry or molten chocolate cake.

From rich chocolate ganache to melt-in-your mouth truffles, this book leads aspiring bakers through every step – from basic to special occasion skills. Starting with advice on how to equip your kitchen, to essential techniques, fillings and decorations, the book covers everything from quick desserts to holiday specialties

and from frozen ice creams and sorbets to candies.

Ferrandi’s experienced teaching team of master chefs have adapted their recipes for the home cook. This fully illustrated intensive course in the art of baking with chocolate provides all of the fundamental techniques and recipes that are the building blocks of the illustrious French chocolate tradition, explained step-by-step in text and images. Practical information is presented in tables, diagrams and sidebars for handy reference.

Easy-to-follow recipes are graded for level of difficulty, allowing readers to develop their skills over time.

FERRANDI PARIS cooking school opened in 1920.

Internationally renowned, it offers courses to students of all levels, including masterclasses with Michelin-starred chefs.

Tempering Chocolate Techniques Water Bath Method

Active time: 25 minutes Equipment Instant-read thermometer Ingredients Dark, milk, or white couverture chocolate Chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bain- marie). Stir until melted, 122°F (50°C) for dark chocolate, and 113°F (45°C) for milk and white.

When the chocolate has melted, stand the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and water. Stir to lower the temperature of the chocolate.

Cool dark chocolate to 82°F–84°F, milk to 81°F–82°F, and white to 79°F–81°F. Put the bowl back over the pan and raise the temperature to 88°F–90°F for dark, 84°F–86°F for milk, and 82°F–84°F for white.

Seeding Method Active time: 20 minutes Equipment Instant-read thermometer Ingredients Dark, milk, or white couverture chocolate, roughly chopped Place two-thirds of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bain-marie). Using a heatproof spatula, stir until evenly melted and the temperature reaches 122°F for dark chocolate and 113°F for milk and white.

Remove the bowl from the saucepan. Finely chop the remaining chocolate and add it to the melted chocolate.

Stir with a spatula until smooth and well blended. Cool dark chocolate to 82°F, milk to 81°F–82°F, and white to 79°F Place the bowl back over the saucepan of barely simmering water and leave until the temperature reaches 88°F–90°F for dark chocolate, 84°F–86°F for milk, and 82°F–84°F for white.

66

Table Method Active time: 25 minutes Equipment Instant-read thermometer, Marble slab, Offset spatula, Scraper Ingredients Dark, milk, or white couverture chocolate Chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bain-marie). Stir until melted, 122°F (50°C) for dark chocolate and 113°F (45°C) for milk and white chocolate. Once melted, pour two-thirds onto a clean, dry marble slab to cool.

Using the offset spatula and scraper, work the chocolate from the outside toward the center.

Spread out the chocolate again and repeat the process to cool it down.

When the temperature reaches 82°F–84°F for dark chocolate, 81°F–82°F for milk, and 79°F–81°F) for white, raise again.

Gradually stir the melted chocolate back into the bowl containing the remaining warm chocolate until the temperature reaches 88°F–90°F for dark, 84°F–86°F for milk, and 82°F–84°F for white.

Macaron Shells Ingredients (makes 24 shells) Scant 1 cup (3 oz./85 g) almond flour 2 tbsp (0.5 oz./15 g) unsweetened cocoa powder ¾ cup (3.5 oz./100 g) confectioners’ sugar 3 tbsp (1.5 oz./40 g) egg white (about 1½ whites), at room temperature Method Preheat the oven to 300°F. Stir the almond flour, cocoa powder, and confectioners’ sugar together in a bowl. Transfer to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until a flour-like consistency is obtained, being careful not to overwork and heat the ingredients.

Italian meringue Ingredients ½ cup (3.5 oz./100 g) superfine sugar 2 tbsp (30 ml) water 3 tbsp (1.5 oz./40 g) egg white (about 1½ whites), at room temperature Method To prepare the Italian meringue, dissolve the sugar in the water and boil to 240°F–250°F. When the temperature of the syrup reaches 230°F, begin whisking the egg whites in the stand mixer at high speed. When the required temperature of the syrup is reached, very carefully pour it over the partially whisked egg whites in a thin, steady stream, taking care not to let it touch the beaters and whisking continuously. Reduce to medium speed after 2 minutes. Whisk until the mixture has cooled completely.

When the meringue has cooled to about 122°F (50°C), fold in the almond flour, cocoa powder, and sugar mixture with a spatula. Pour in the egg whites. Begin to fold the mixtures together with a spatula. Continue folding until the meringue has deflated slightly and you have a smooth mixture that falls off the spatula in thick ribbons. Line a baking sheet (at room

Chocolate disks 9 oz. (250 g) dark couverture chocolate, 65% cacao, finely chopped Method Temper the dark chocolate. Lay the stencil on a silicone baking mat. Once the tempered chocolate cools to 86°F, pour it over the stencil so it fills the circles. Remove excess chocolate with a spatula and allow the disks to set for 5 minutes.

Assembly Spoon the ganache into a pastry bag, pipe it over the flat side of half the shells, and lightly press the remaining shells on top so the filling reaches the edges. Decorate each macaron with a chocolate disk, fixing it in place with a little melted chocolate.

Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

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RECIPE

Dark Chocolate Macarons

temperature) with a silicone mat. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag and pipe macaron shells approximately 1 in. (2.5 cm) in diameter onto the mat. Carefully lift up the baking sheet slightly and gently drop it back onto the work surface to make the tops of the macarons smooth. Bake for 15 minutes.

Dark chocolate ganache ½ cup minus 2 tsp (115 ml) heavy whipping cream 1¾ tsp (0.5 oz./12 g) honey 4 oz. (115 g) dark couverture chocolate, 65% cacao, finely chopped Method Heat the cream and honey in a saucepan until the temperature reaches 95°F. Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bain-marie) to 95°F. Pour the cream over the melted chocolate and stir gently with a spatula to make a smooth ganache. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap, spread the ganache over it, and press another piece of plastic wrap over the surface. Chill for 30–40 minutes.

Dungeness “Crab Cake”, Old Bay Crisp, Shellfish Cardamom Emulsion

By Eric Ripert

SERVES: 4

Ingredients

Method

Tomato Compote 1 cup tomato concasse 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 thyme sprig ½ bay leaf 1/4 teaspoon roasted ground cardamom Fine sea salt and fresh ground white pepper

Tomato Compote Heat olive oil in pan and cook the tomatoes, reserving 1 tablespoon for assembly, with thyme, bay leaf and cardamom, season with fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated, remove bay leaf and thyme sprig. Place in a container and cool till needed.

Shellfish Cardamom Emulsion For the sauce, warm a sauce pan over medium high heat add canola oil and sauté blue crab bodies until they begin to turn bright red. Turn heat down slightly and add garlic, shallot, red pepper, and mushrooms; season and cook until softened. Add shrimp stock and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes, add espelette to taste along with more fine sea salt, if needed. Strain through a chinois, reserve.

Old Bay Tuile For the tuile, combine flour and water thoroughly, store in a squeeze bottle. Heat a 6 inch nonstick pan over high heat, add canola to cover pan in a thin layer.

Remove pan from heat, shake squeeze bottle and carefully squirt into pan, cover in a thin layer, and put back on heat. Cook until water has evaporated and the crisp is golden brown, remove from pan season with Old Bay, reserve, and repeat three times to make four tuiles.

Garlic Aioli For the aioli, combine all ingredients in a bowl, reserve.

To serve, combine crab with aioli, reserved tomato dice, chives, lemon juice and season with fine sea salt, freshly ground white pepper and espelette. divide into 3oz portions, warm in oven. Warm compote and sauce in pots, when compote is warm draw a line through the center of the plate, place ring mold in center and fill each with 3 ounces of warm crab mixture. Pour warmed sauce around crab, place tuile on top, finish with a pinch of Old Bay seasoning.

Shrimp Stock Heat a large pan and add canola oil. Saute shrimp over medium high heat till they turn red, add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and stir, cook for two minutes constantly stirring to avoid burning. Cover with water by 2 inches and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.

Puree with an immersion blender and bring back to a simmer for 5 minutes. Strain through a china cap, cool, and reserve.

Dungeness Crab 12 ounces Dungeness crab meat cleaned Shellfish Cardamom Emulsion: 2 blue crabs, rough chopped 1 clove garlic, halved 1/2 shallot, diced ¼ red bell pepper, diced 2 button mushrooms, diced 2 cups shrimp stock (see recipe below) Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper espelette Old Bay Tuile: 15 grams all-purpose flour 250 grams water Canola oil Old Bay seasoning Garlic Aioli: ½ teaspoon roasted garlic puree 2 tablespoon mayonnaise 1 teaspoon lemon juice Fine sea salt, freshly ground pepper and espelette Shrimp Stock 1 pound shrimp shell on 1 tablespoon tomato paste

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RECIPE

69

Shellfish raviolo with a citrus bisque, kohlrabi and basil

By Robby Jenks SERVES: 10

Pickled Kohlrabi Ingredients 1 ltr Chardonnay vinegar 300g Honey 3 Sprigs thyme 1 Bay leaf 5 x Kohlrabi - shredded

Method

Add all the ingredients together into a saucepan and boil for a few minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Take off the heat and add the kohlrabi, allowing to sit for at least three days in the pickling liquid.

Citrus Bisque Ingredients

2kg Langoustine or lobster bones/carcasses - crushed and chopped small 800ml Olive oil 200g Carrots - chopped into small pieces 200g Onions - chopped into small pieces 200g Fennel - chopped into small pieces 10g Whole white peppercorns 2 Whole star anise 10g Ground cumin 5g Fennel seeds 1 Pinch saffron 1 Head of garlic - cut in half 500g Tomatoes - chopped 150g - Tomato concentrate 1 Bay leaf 10 Sprigs of thyme 1 Grapefruit - zest and juice 1 Orange - zest and juice 1 lemon - zest and juice 100ml brandy Fish Stock

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place 600ml of olive oil into a large roasting tray and put it into the oven to heat the oil.

Add the chopped carcasses and roast well.

Once done, remove from the oven and deglaze the tin with the brandy.

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Whilst roasting the carcasses, in a saucepan on a low heat, sweat the carrots, onions, fennel and garlic in the remaining 200ml of olive oil slowly until they are without colour or are very soft and broken down.

Now add all the herbs, spices and citrus juices and zest. Continue to sweat the mixture on a low heat for a further five minutes.

To this add the tomato concentrate, fresh chopped tomatoes and water. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil and cook for a further 10 minutes, allowing the mixture to reduce slightly.

Taking a large saucepan, add firstly the carcasses with the oil, and then the compote of vegetables.

Cover the mixture with fish stock to just below the level of the carcasses and then bring to the boil. Reduce this to a simmer

and cook very slowly for one hour.

Once done pass through a colander, then a chinoise and then reduce quickly on a high heat to taste.

Shellfish Mousse Ingredients

150g Scallop 500g Shellfish mix (5kg cockles, 5kg clams, 8 lobsters, 1 box langoustine, 2kg of Crab - this would make enough for 9 full recipes) 150g Cream 1 Egg yolk 1 Lemon - zest from the full lemon and juice from half of it Chopped basil

Method

In a food processor, blend together the scallops, cream and egg until the mixture

RECIPE

becomes an ice cream texture and put over ice.

Add the shellfish mix, lemon and herbs and combine.

Adjust the seasoning to taste.

Saffron Pasta Ingredients 250g Plain flour 3 Egg yolks 1 Whole egg 10g Water 4g Salt 1 Packet of saffron 20ml Olive oil

Method

Place the water, saffron and olive oil into a saucepan and bring to the boil, dissolving the saffron. Leave to cool.

Once cool, add the saffron infused

mixture the egg and egg yolks and blend using a hand blender Sieve the flour with the salt and place into a Robot Coupe. Turn the Robot Coupe onto a slow speed and gradually add the liquid to the flour until it comes together and is the correct texture. The amount of liquid taken by the flour will vary so be careful not to make the mix too dry or wet.

Remove the mixture from the Robot Coupe and bring together by hand. Wrap in cling film and vac pack and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

Roll out to setting one on the pasta machine (thinnest), then rest again before use. Cut out rounds To make the raviolo cut out rounds from the pasta sheets that are big enough to hold about 50g of the shellfish mousse with enough space to press the pasta sheets together. When pressing there is no

need to use egg or water to bond - press and seal the mousse inside.

Place the pasta in a saucepan with boiling water for two minutes until cooked.

To Assemble Ingredients 1 Orange Pickled kohlrabi Micro basil leaves

Method

Place one piece of the raviolo in the centre of a shallow bowl.

Add a ladle of the citrus bisque to the bowl and then top the pasta with the pickled kohlrabi, small pieces of orange and a small amount of micro basil to finish.

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FRONT OF HOUSE

FRESCOBALDI UNVEILS THE 7th VINTAGE OF GORGONA, A UNIQUE WINE WHOSE BOUQUET EXPRESSES FREEDOM The social-improvement project launched in 2012 in collaboration with the penal colony, which celebrates this year its 150th anniversary Expectations are high and still building for the opportunity to taste Gorgona 2018, the seventh vintage of this Frescobaldi wine, one like no other, since it is unveiled, in June every year, on Italy’s last remaining penal island, established in 1869 and this year marking its 150th birthday.

Gorgona 2018, a white-wine blend of Vermentino and Ansonica, had its first vintage in 2012; it was produced with the collaboration of the inmates of Gorgona’s detention facility, who were looking for another opportunity to “rewind the tape” of their life, learning new skills, spending their time in a more positive way, and planning a new life for themselves.

A wine born of yearning, then, highlighted by redemption, shot through with hope and a desire for new life, one filled with a cornucopia of emotions. This seventh vintage eloquently expresses the island’s distinctive environment, which is quintessentially Mediterranean: inebriating, pungent scrub, tangy acidity, and rich flavours. Its shimmering, deep strawyellow, with gold highlights, immediately catches the eye, then the nose offers an intriguing surprise, its complex, multi-faceted aromatics conveyed with alluring charm. Its opens to classic Mediterranean essences—thyme, rosemary, strawflower--, then segues to impressions that conjure up ripe tropical fruit; a third and concluding moment brings to the fore delicate notes of citrus and blossoming broom. The entry on the palate is fruit-rich, with a light thread of acidity, proceeding to a lengthy finish. Overall, its marine character is both intense, pronounced, and completely enfolding.

The 2018 growing season opened to a mild winter with normal rainfall. The rains became heavier in the spring, particularly in April and May, but diminished gradually over the summer months, which were hot and dry. September, which always experiences sea-breezes, was quite favourable, with sunny days,

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moderate temperatures, and no rain.

The bottle label, too, is unique and exclusive to this wine: it is sealed shut, to express the inaccessibility of the island; only upon opening the label does one discover its full beauty. It incorporates, in addition, a mini-newspaper, an “extra edition” that each year relates a different aspect of the island’s history.

With the 2018 vintage, we learn about the geographical configuration of the island; an 1851 map shows the irregular profile of the coast, typical of islands, with a multitude of inlets, called “cale,” that still hold secrets and untold stories: Cala Martina, Cala allo Scalo, the island’s only landing-site, and Cala Marcona. The elegant Cala Scirocco was at one time a refuge for harbour seals, in its Grotta del Bue Marino; the Cala dei Giunchi, where the sea encounters an unusual outflow of freshwater; and finally, the majestic Cala Maestra, whose floor still guards 15 Byzantine ship’s anchors, relic of a tragic shipwreck.

Over the past seven years, this organically-made wine, with its limited production of only 9,000 bottles, has conquered the international market, from New York to Japan, and those fortunate enough to have tasted it have been totally won over.

“This project makes me prouder every year,” stated winery President Lamberto Frescobaldi. “Gorgona’s bouquet and palate display everything: love for the island, meticulous attention in production, influence of the sea, and that extraordinary environment that shapes inimitable wines that are themselves symbols of hope and freedom. In sum, the wine expresses the essence of this island and of a project that unceasingly gifts emotions, above all to the inmates. I always tell

them: Be proud, for in every bottle is your hard work and your desire for redemption.”

VISION “Frescobaldi for the social good” began in August 2012. Before it involved wine production, it was a multi-year project involving collaboration with the authorities of the penal colony, whose objective was to get the inmates involved in practical viticultural work. Under the supervision of Frescobaldi agronomists and winemakers, the inmates restored and cultivated a one-hectare vineyard on the island, to which over the years Frescobaldi added another 1.3 hectares of vines.

STAGES OF THE PROJECT In May 2013, the first vintage of Gorgona (2013) was submitted to the authorities in Rome, and in September Lamberto Frescobaldi presented magnum number 0 to Giorgio Napolitano, President of Italy.

In June 2014, Frescobaldi signed a 15-year contract for collaboration with the administration of the penal colony, and the winery hired and paid two inmates to work in the Gorgona vineyard.

In February 2015, under supervision by Frescobaldi winemakers, inmates planted another hectare of Vermentino, to involve more inmates in the viticultural work and to obtain, in another four years, a better-quality wine. The total hectares thus rose to 2.3.

In June 2018, the sixth vintage of Gorgona was bottled, 2017, in an edition of 9,000 bottles. The bottle label focused on the island fauna, which was perfectly adapted to the island’s biodiversity: wild rabbits, peregrine falcons, and seagulls, who chose Gorgona as their nesting place.

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FRONT OF HOUSE Words: Jeffrey Benson

COTES DE PROVENCE

From a wine point of view, Provence is that part of south-eastern France bounded on the east and west by Italy and the Rhone delta and on the north and south by the Alps and the Mediterranean.

It includes the Riviera and the Cote d' Azur as well as Cezanne's Montagne-Sainte-Victoire. It is Marseille and Nice and Aix and Draguignan. It is Bandol and Cassis, the tiny appellations of Bellet and Palette and the large ones of Cotes de Provence and Coteaux d' Aix-en-Provence. Away from the bustling seaside resorts, this is a wild and rugged countryside; blazing hot in summer, bleak in winter; a land of olive groves and garrigues - a scrub land of bramble and broom, of stunted oaks and pine, of rocky outcrops with wild thyme, oregano and rosemary; at its prettiest in May and June when the land is still green and not yet parched, when flowers bloom and butterflies fly. It is a countryside of contrast. Here and ultra-modern development by Le Corbusier out of clockwork Orange; a few miles away, a crumbling brigade castle, a beat-up Romanesque church or a secluded monastery.

Yet it is also a fertile country. Between the coast and the mountains, near where the motorway thunders between Avignon and Marseille or Menton, the land is lush and the soil abundant. This is ideal country for the vine, the sort of land and climate the plant found in Kurdistan when it was first cultivated

by Neolithic man. The vine can withstand the long periods of drought it often encounters in Provence. Its roots dig deep for the moisture it needs to see it through the arid summers. The wines, like the climate, have tended to be larger than life: full and robust, fiery and alcoholic. Today, tamed by man and vinified by modern methods, often with the use of cepages ameliorateurs such as Cabernet Sauvignon to supplement the indigenous Grenache, Mourvedre and other varieties, the standard is rising. Wines of elegance and depth are being made.

Bandol, Cassis, Palette and Bellet are quality appellations, confined to small areas, while the rest are more general. All produce red wine, a certain amount of rose, especially in Cotes de Provence, but little white. The one exception is Cassis; a curious appellation for a South of France wine in that its fame, and the bulk of its production, is its dry white.

Three quarters of all Provencal wine - 100 million bottles - is bottled as appellation controlee Cotes de Provence. Of this 75 percent red and 5 percent white. This is therefore not just the main generic appellation in the country.

Quite why Provence should have started to produce rose in such volume - for it is a post-war phenomenon - while the Roussillon 74

and the Languedoc did not, not only does no one seem to know, no one seems to have addressed.

Nevertheless with modern methods of temperature control of the fermentation, a generally very dry and sunny climate (hence ripe, healthy grapes) a delicious to look at, pale salmon pink, fruity, balanced, dry wine is produced and sometimes put up in the unmistakable "Brigitte Bardot" bottle which is almost entirely consumed on the spot by the locals and the hundreds of thousands of tourists who flock into the region every summer.

Such Provence wine which is exported, and it is rather less than that of the Languedoc / Roussillon, is mainly red.

The Cotes de Provence area stretches from Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles in the west to Saint-Raphael and the Lac de Saint-Cassien in the east, a distance of about 120 Kilometres; but is interrupted by a gap conaining the Coteaux Varois in the middle, above and below the motorway between SaintMaximin-la-Saint-Baume and Brignoles.

The 18,000 odd hectares of vineyard can be divided into five district sub-areas, each with its terroir and mesoclimate.

These are as follows: 1. The area in the southern and eastern slopes of the Massif de Sainte-Victoire. The soil here is argillaceous sandstone on a limestone rock base.

2. Le Beausset basin, south of the Montagne de SainteBaume, between Cassis and Bandol. This is largely chalkylimestone.

3. The "Vallee Interieure". This follows the motorway that

skirts the Maures mountains between Toulon and Le Muy: sandy clay and marl from the Palaeozoic era.

4. The coastal region from Toulon via the Saint-Tropez peninsular and along to Saint-Raphael. These are ancient schistous and granitic soils.

5. The hills of the "Haut Pays" north of the A8 autoroute between Brignoles and the Lac de Saint-Cassien. Here again the soil is calcareous on a limestone rock base.

In general, the soils are stony and well-drained, poor in nitrogenous matter, and therefore propitious for the vine. The weather is also beneficial. This is a dry and warm part of France, with, on average, a mere 600mm of rain annually, falling mainly in the late autumn and in the spring, when it will encourage growth. The cold, dry Mistral is frequently present, especially in the western part of the region, and it will evaporate moisture, helping the vine protect itself against disease.

As a consequence of this largely risk-free climatic conditions, a great many vineyards are now worked ecologically or biologically, without recourse to chemical fertilisers, insect sprays or herbicides. In contrast to the increasingly dead and polluted sea nearby, the land is healthy and full of micro-flora and micro-fauna.

Cotes de Provence red wines can be expensive - or seem so in comparison with those of the Languedoc and Roussillon but they start out with a major advantage, the appearance of Cabernet Sauvignon in the recommended list of grape varieties. Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Grenache, in various

proportions and now with a modicum of new oak for the Reserve cuvees is the Syrah in the hottest micro-climates nearest to the coast where it can properly mature.

The roses, produced by a saignee after 12 to 24 hours maceration and malolactic fermentation blocked according to choice, can be very delicious, and have become very popular The standard of the white and rose wines has improved immensely since the arrival of modern methods of vinification.

Today's Cotes de Provence whites are increasingly concentrated on the two quality varieties: Semillon and Rolle. Fifty-fifty blends, vinified in oak - and then often with the malolactic fermentation having taken place - or in tank regulated at 18c, and the malolactic fermentation blocked (today the choice and the control rests with the wine-maker) are the rule rather than the exception, and many are admirable. I find them of much greater interest than the whites of Cassis. It does however take a little extra dedication to produce fine white wine. In the Provencal sun the grapes race to maturity in September, and the window of perfect picking opportunity is in any case narrower for white grapes than red.

Jeffrey Benson is an approved programme provider, examiner and adjudicator for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and empowered to hold their wine training courses and examinations anywhere in the world.

Anyone one who is interested in receiving further information contact me atbensonwines@gmail.com 75

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INDUSTRY NEWS Adopt a School

Michel Roux OBE and Alain Roux host charity dinner at the Waterside Inn with Raymond Blanc OBE, Gary Jones, Nathan Outlaw, William Curley MCA & Mark Sargeant in aid of Adopt a School On 24th September, Michel Roux OBE and Alain Roux opened the doors of the world-renowned The Waterside Inn to welcome guests for an exclusive and prestigious dinner in aid of the Royal Academy of Culinary Art’s Adopt a School Trust.

This unique dinner, featuring a brigade of the world’s most presitigious chefs provided an unrivalled experience with a world-class five course menu: Ricotta and goats’ cheese agnolotti with basil and tomato essence, prepared by Raymond Blanc OBE and Gary Jones (Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Oxfordshire) Crab sausage roll with brown crab ‘ketchup’ and pickled cucumber with dill, prepared by Mark Sargeant (RockSalt Restaurant, Folkestone) Steamed fillet of sea bass with tartare olive oil hollandaise and steamed young leeks, prepared by Nathan Outlaw (Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Port Isaac) Roasted loin of lamb stuffed with cep mushrooms, boulangère gratin and garden savoury scented jus, prepared by Alain Roux and Fabrice Uhryn (The Waterside Inn, Bray) Amedei chocolate and praline delice with citrus compote with orange and yoghurt ice-cream, prepared by William Curley MCA (William Curley) The evening, MCed by chef Brian Turner CBE, was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and witness the impact the Adopt a School Programme has on children’s lives. Chef Thomas Marriage, now seventeen years old, who received Adopt a School sessions from Gary Jones when he was at Chalgrove Primary School was so inspired by the programme, he trained to become a chef; eight years later, he has now become Commis Chef Apprentice at Le Manoir and was cooking alongside Gary at the dinner. Tom reflected on his experiences of the programme that evening: “if it wasn’t for Adopt a School, I

wouldn’t be here…I thank the programme for where I am now...

Adopt a School has changed my life…every child needs to be a part of this programme.”Chef Simon Boyle, founder of social enterprise and restaurant Beyond Food & Brigade, also spoke about Adopt a School’s impact on children at Great Ormond Street Hospital School, where he has delivered Adopt a School sessions for 15 years. He said that “What I take most from Adopt a School is the power that food has to transform children’s lives through health, raising aspirations, providing a new career path, and giving them an enjoyable activity which takes them away from their day-to-day lives.” Boyle is one of eleven chefs who generously volunteer their time to deliver practical cooking sessions to children attending the hospital school in central London.

Sara Jayne Stanes OBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and Adopt a School said: “Food education is key to giving young people the knowledge, practical skills and ability to be responsible for their wellbeing and to adopt a healthier lifestyle through informed choice. This is why programmes like Adopt a School are so important.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS École Ducasse launched

New culinary and pastry arts programmes Sommet Education, the leading hospitality management education group, became the majority shareholder of Ducasse Education alongside Ducasse Développement in June 2019 – Following this agreement Benoît-Etienne Domenget, CEO of Sommet Education and President of Ducasse Education, together with Alain Ducasse, Founder of Ducasse Education and President of Ducasse Développement, have today announced their joint action plan to establish Ducasse Education as a global benchmark for culinary and pastry arts training.

This shared ambition is reflected in the creation of a new brand, École Ducasse, an enriched portfolio of education programmes, an exceptional new campus in Paris, and the appointment of Elise Masurel as Managing Director. École Ducasse has been created to offer a broad range of programmes, responding to an international demand while keeping in line with Alain Ducasse’s DNA: "philosophy of excellence, combining the perfect transmission of well-mastered culinary techniques and expertise with a resolutely contemporary approach to gastronomy.” The École Ducasse brand consists of three schools in exceptional locations: École Ducasse – Paris Studio: École Ducasse – École Nationale Supérieure de Pâtisserie: located in Yssingeaux in the Haute-Loire region in France École Ducasse – Paris Campus: an exceptional new campus in Meudon specialising in culinary arts.

Driven by a strong growth in the gastronomy sector, École Ducasse aims to provide tailored solutions for all students: from food enthusiasts to seasoned professionals, and from adults changing career path to young graduates.

Therefore, the following four types of programme are available: 78

“Essential” programmes: Intensive twomonth programmes designed for people who are passionate about cooking and pastry, as well as career changers and entrepreneurs.

“Bachelor” programmes: Three-year undergraduate programmes in culinary and pastry arts, combining practical, managerial and entrepreneurial skills, for students seeking a career in the hotel and restaurant industry, the food and beverage sector and pastrymaking. These are unique programmes, sponsored by renowned chefs such as Romain Meder and Jessica Préalpato.

“Diploma” programmes: These intensive two-, four- or six-month programmes are aimed at people who are passionate about cooking and pastry-making, people seeking a change of career, entrepreneurs and all those who wish to work in the world of gastronomy, and rely on the best experts in their field: Meilleurs Ouvriers de France, international champions, renowned chefs and pastry chefs, craftsmen and hospitality experts.

“Signature” programmes: Two unique and exclusive eight-month English immersion programmes, designed specifically for people who are looking to grow in their positions, change careers or young professionals seeking to embark on a career as a chef or a culinary project.

Short courses and immersive experiences

are also available for food enthusiasts willing to explore gastronomy and cuisine.

The Paris Campus will be an ultracontemporary campus located in Meudon; a customied school with the aim of teaching and promoting worldrenowned gastronomic expertise. The interior spaces inspired by the four natural elements open around a gathering point designed to favour collaboration and co-working, a space for meeting and sharing. These will include a “knowledge center”, a sensory analysis room and workshops dedicated to the culinary and the pastry arts. Arte Charpentier Architectes is developing the building as well as the external and interior facilities, in conjunction with real-estate developer Covivio. The internal design of the kitchens will be undertaken by BEGC and the decoration of the bar and two immersion restaurants, which will be open to the public, by interior designer Jouin Manku. Vegetables and aromatic plants will also be grown in the school's garden, aimed at developing and refining taste.

The team led by Elise Masurel, who is joining as Managing Director. Her hospitality sector experience, customer journey and digital expertise,, combined with her international environment knowledge will enable the new brand to achieve its full potential.

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