10 minute read
Celebrity Chef – recipes from Mark Hix
It hasn’t been the easiest few years for anyone in the restaurant industry, but for restaurateur and acclaimed chef Mark Hix, it is a case of onwards and upwards
WILD ABOUT HIX
Who knows where Dorset-born Mark Hix might have ended up, had he chosen metalwork classes at school?
Thankfully for food lovers, young Mark chose domestic science and quickly discovered he had a culinary flair, going on to become a celebrated restaurateur, chef and food writer.
“Me and my friends chose food science because we thought it would be a good place to meet girls,” admits Mark. “We went to the first class and then found out that all the girls had chosen metalwork instead! So when I first started out, I didn’t know that I wanted to be a chef, but that’s the road I took simply by chance.”
Brought up in West Bay, on the edge of Bridport, Mark won a school prize for his dabblings in cookery before taking on a catering course at Weymouth College. Inspired by a teacher, he moved to London at 18 to become commis chef in the Hilton’s staff canteen. His food education continued at the Grosvenor House Hotel and The Dorchester, working under illustrious names such as Anton Edelman and Anton Mosimann.
He made his first real mark at The Candlewick Room where, as head chef, he helped the eatery land a coveted Michelin award.
It was then onto the head chef’s position at Le Caprice restaurant before he eventually became chef director for Caprice Holdings, overseeing The Ivy and the company’s further expansion.
Branching out on his own after 17 years with the group, Mark began opening Hix restaurants in London’s City and West End, as well as Dorset. His long and tireless efforts have enriched the hospitality world and were duly rewarded with an MBE in the 2017 New Year Honours List.
Sadly, as for many in the same industry, just a couple of years later, Mark’s ambitions were thwarted by the sweeping Covid-19 pandemic.
“When the investors put Hix into administration without my support, it was a very difficult time for me and my loyal team,” he explains. “I started from scratch, cashed in my pension and took on the Fish House from the administrators. To keep me going, I bought a truck on eBay to sell wet fish and seafood from. This in turn helped the fishermen sell their catch which was unable to be sold to the hotels and restaurants during lockdown as everything was closed. The challenges have continued. Everyone is feeling the struggle and with costs rising all the time, it’s not an easy industry to be in.”
Undeterred, in July 2020 he reopened The Oyster & Fish House in Lyme Regis, which has stunning views from one of his favourite spots in the country.
“I grew up in Dorset and I love being back here permanently. I have lived between London and Dorset since 2008 when I first opened my own restaurants, but I could never see myself moving back to London again. My friends are here, my business is here, and fishing is on my doorstep! What could be better?”
The author of no less than 12 cookbooks including HOOKED and British Seasonal Food, he is a regular columnist for publications including the Telegraph, Dorset Magazine and Marshwood Vale. So what’s next for Mark?
Sadly, The Fox Inn closed its doors permanently in July 2022. Opened in the middle of the pandemic, the challenges were just too much for the business to continue, with rising costs and staffing issues that the industry has never before seen. However, there’s plenty to look forward to with business booming on other fronts and new ventures additionally.
“Aside from the restaurants, I continue to consult and also run events whether that’s catering for a big wedding, cooking at people’s holiday homes or hosting a ‘Kitchen Table’ event which I hold at my home. I have also teamed up with my friend Miles Irving, a renowned wild food expert and forager, where we run ‘Hix and Wild’ days in Dorset; foraging all morning and afternoon, before we enjoy a 6-course meal back at my home, cooked by me, with plenty of local wines of course!”
Turn to page 19 for more details of Mark’s foraging venture.
Mutton Chop Curry
We usually make this with deer or mutton chops which you don’t often see for sale, but any good butcher should be able to cut them for you, just like lamb chops. There’s something delicious about eating a curry on the bone and what’s more it looks great.
SERVES 4 FOR THE ROASTED CURRY POWDER, MAKES ABOUT 100G 3 tsp fenugreek seeds 1 tsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp fenugreek leaves 3 tsp cumin seeds 1 small cinnamon stick 4 dried chillies, roughly chopped 1 tsp caraway seeds 1 tsp nigella seeds 3 tsp ground turmeric 4 cloves 2 tsp ground coriander 2 tsp mustard seeds The black seeds from 12 podded cardamom 3 tsp ground cumin
FOR THE CURRY 3 mutton or deer chops or cutlets per portion 300g natural yoghurt 2 tbsp ghee 3 medium red onions, peeled, halved and fi nely chopped 5 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 60g of root ginger, scraped and fi nely grated 2 good pinches of saffron 3 tsp tomato purée 1L of lamb or beef stock, A few sprigs of coriander, roughly chopped to fi nish
1 Grind all the spices, except the ground cumin, cinnamon and coriander, in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Mix them with the already-ground spices and sprinkle into a heavy-bottomed frying pan. 2 Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly and not letting them burn, until they turn dark brown. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool, then store in a sealed jar. 3 Marinade the chops in the yoghurt for 2-3 hours before cooking. 4 To make the sauce, gently cook the onion, garlic, ginger, saffron and curry leaves, in 1.5 tbsp of the ghee for 3-4 mins until soft. Add the curry spices and tomato purée and stir well. 5 Add the stock and dried chillies, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 40 mins. 6 Blend a third of the sauce in a liquidiser until smooth (don’t blend the chillies) then add back to the sauce. 7 Return to a low heat and continue simmering until the sauce has reduced and thickened. 8 Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan, remove the excess yoghurt from the chops and season. Fry them until lightly coloured. Add the chops to the sauce and simmer gently for 4-5 hours until tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with basmati rice and scatter with the coriander.
THE LIST
Denby James Martin Cook Pestle & Mortar
RRP: £25.00
Harts Price: £17.50
Stoven Soft Touch Induction 28cm Sauteuse
RRP: £99.00
Harts Price: £63.95 Microplane Home
Series Fine
Grater Black
RRP: £19.95
Harts Price: £17.95
1 Bring the fish stock and white wine to boil together in a large saucepan and poach the fish gently in it for 2 mins. Drain in a colander over a bowl and leave to cool. 2 Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed pan over a low heat, then stir in the flour. Gradually add the stock and wine that the fish was poached in, stirring well until it has all been added. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 mins. Add the double cream and continue to simmer for 10 mins or so until the sauce has a thick consistency. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and anchovy essence. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary, and leave to cool for about 15 mins. 3 Gently fold in the cooked fish and parsley, and spoon into individual (or one large) pie dishes, filling them to 3cm from the top of the dish. Leave to set for about 30 mins, so the potato will sit on the sauce. 4 Meanwhile, mix the butter into the mashed potato, season with a little salt and freshly ground white pepper and add a little milk so that it is just soft enough to pipe (with a piping bag), or just spread with a spatula on to the pies. 5 Pre-heat the oven to 175C/Gas 5. Bake the fish pie for 30 mins. Scatter on the breadcrumbs and cheese and bake for a further 15 mins until golden.
Fish Pie
THE LIST
This recipe is honest, down-to-earth, packed with flavour and full of tradition. You can make it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight.
SERVES 6-8 250g boneless white fish, such as pollack, filleted, skinned and cut into rough 3cm chunks 250g boneless salmon fillet, skinned and cut into rough 3cm chunks 250g boneless smoked fish fillet, skinned and cut into rough 3cm chunks 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1.5kg potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed 60g butter Milk 20g fresh white breadcrumbs 20g grated cheddar
FOR THE SAUCE Half a litre fish stock 100ml white wine 50g butter 50g flour 180ml double cream 2 tsp English mustard Half a tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp anchovy essence Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Stellar 1000 20cm Deep Saucepan with Helper Handle
RRP: £92.40 Harts Price: £68.95
Global GS-63 Fish Bone Tweezers
RRP: £55.00 Harts Price: £36.95
OXO Good Grips Smooth Potato Masher
RRP: £15.00
Harts Price: £12.75
THE LIST
Sophie Conran Floret Cream Medium Serving Bowl Harts Price: £18.00
Cuttlefi sh Ink Spelt
This isn’t a risotto in the true sense of the word but more a sort of British version of Spanish Arròs negre. You can use cuttlefi sh or squid for this dish, and you will need to order the little sachets of ink from your fi shmonger in advance.
SERVES 4 2 tbsp rapeseed oil 50g (6 sachets) squid ink 200g spelt, soaked in cold water for 3-4 hours 1L fi sh stock 120g butter 150g cleaned squid, cut into small, rough 2-3cm squares 1 tbsp chopped hedgerow or three-cornered garlic or garlic chives 1 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped chervil
1 Heat the rapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add the drained spelt and stir on a low heat for a minute or so, without allowing it to colour. 2 Add the squid ink, stir well, then slowly add the stock, a ladle or two at a time, ensuring that all the liquid has been absorbed before adding more, stirring constantly. 3 When the spelt is tender and cooked, stir in two-thirds of the butter and a little more of the stock if the risotto seems a bit too dry. The consistency should be wet but not runny. 4 Meanwhile, heat a heavy frying pan with the rest of the butter and cook the squid on a high heat for a minute or so, then stir in the herbs. 5 To serve, spoon the spelt on to warmed serving plates and scatter the squid over.
