FINANCIAL TIMES JANUARY 17/JANUARY 18 2004 " WEEKEND W5 FOOD AND DRINK

Born of an Irish Catholic mother and Jewish father, he describes himself in his rich voice as a “complete mongrel”. His mother, Shelagh, was an adventur≤ ous, -style cook. She liked to make meat with fruit, such as ‘I like to guinea fowl roasted with a peach inside, and cooked according to her obsessions. “She did sour cream with everything for six months,” he says, fiddling with his half-moon glasses and pulling at his hair. “Then it would be apricots or rice for meal after meal.” He had a peripatetic childhood in Northern Ireland, Bedfordshire and go against Gloucestershire and settled young into an anarchic lifestyle. “I spent most of one term at school in disgrace ∞ with my desk facing the wall,” he explains. “Then I moved to Clifton College in Bristol, only to be expelled aged 15.” Leigh wasn’t accepted by any of his UCCA universities, so he decided to sit the Cambridge entrance exam. He won the grain’ an exhibition to read English at Christ’s College. Did he dine in hall? “Never,” he responds, vehemently. “I Top Rowley Leigh starts his FT cookery column this tried it once,” he adds. Instead he week and tells Caroline Phillips about his robust, refined style cooked dry curries or ate at the local Cypriot restaurants. “But Christ’s did owley Leigh was doing a cook≤ rhubarb, which was last year’s trend good breakfasts.” ery demonstration ∞ his first ingredient.” He left Cambridge without a degree. and last ∞ in Perth, Scotland, He dismisses foodie fashion. “I like “I walked out of Part Ones. I was in a in 1989. Most chefs prepare to go against the grain a bit. At the contemptuous, drug-induced, political assiduously for such present≤ moment, people serve treviso with fish state of mind.” He drifted to work on ations.R But Leigh decided to improvise, and belly of pork with just about every≤ his father’s new venture ∞ a dairy choosing to extol the wonders of wild thing. There are trends not just in farm. There he grew his own vegeta≤ salmon to the 100 housewives who had ingredients but also techniques. bles and immersed himself in Elizabeth gathered to watch him. Veloute´, cappuccino and fruit slices David. He left and wrote 40 pages of an After five minutes, he’d lost their confited into thin, tasteless pieces,” he “academic” detective novel and played attention. “Suddenly I realised the snorts with derision. “I particularly lots of snooker. Then he went to Joe town hall was full of people involved in loathe deconstruction ∞ when you get a Allen’s. salmon farming. People who didn’t long, rectangular plate with five differ≤ He thinks the best food in the world think wild salmon a very good idea,” ent ways of doing a pig ∞ a slab of is in Italy. “I love their respect for their laughs Leigh. “I dried up totally.” He pork, a pig’s trotter, a piece of pork ingredients and rules. They have a cut himself slightly, filleting the fish. loin. Instead of having a focused, intel≤ very clear syntax to a meal ∞ antipasto, He called on the next demonstrator ligent meal, you get the chef showing Rowley Leigh at Kensington Place: ‘The problem is some cooks are not in love with food’ Charlie Bibby pasta then meat or fish ∞ and are end≤ (the lesser-known Gary Rhodes) to off. To me, it’s denatured and taste≤ lessly creative within the basic for≤ assist him. Then he spluttered some≤ less.” people in the country don’t know what and buying arms of the business. lowed a recipe, but reads cookery mula.” His favourite meal is oysters thing about checking his potatoes and Leigh dislikes pandering to our to do with the damn things. Countr y Five years later he became head chef books avidly for inspiration. He and grouse. But at least once a week he ran offstage ∞ never to return. obsession with variety. “We need sea≤ cooking is rather more genuine.” at Le Poulbot ∞ where the Gault Millau admires Paul Bocuse, Alice Walters eats a take-away curry from Pyasa in Leigh, 53, is head chef at ’s sonal food, stews in winter and salads There is a peppermint-coloured Smeg Guide awarded him 16 out of 20, and Anna del Conte. Shepherd’s Bush. perennially fashionable restaurant, in summer. As the world gets smaller fridge in the kitchen of his west Lon≤ against 15 for . And in “I hate to single them out. There are “I try to eat healthily, but I still eat Kensington Place, and executive chef and markets more international, don home. Nearby is a book on fruit 1987, he opened Kensington Place, an so many people that I admire.” He is far too much,” he opines. Has he ever of the Moving Image group, which there’s a danger of everything we eat juices, the River Cafe Cookbook and Anglicised French restaurant which categorically uninterested in television followed a diet? “No.” Does he ever cut includes Launceston Place, Avenue, becoming standardised and tasteless,” ’s tomes. “Very mislead≤ becomes increasingly Anglicised. chefs. “I get my ideas by dreaming of foodstuffs out of his diet? “Pah.” Circus and East at West. He’s the he says. “If we care what we eat, we ing,” says Leigh “Those are my wife’s In the 1980s, when his style evolved, faraway places and times. Recently I’ve Indeed, he thinks the main difference renowned author of No Place Like should buy seasonal food from small books!” His own arcane and disparate Leigh’s cookery was dubbed New been doing roast cod with anchovy between amateur and professional Home ∞ a witty cookery book about collection lines his study walls: from Wave. “That’s very vieille vague now,” sauce, which is a 17th-century recipe, cooking is seasoning: “People would be dishes that are better cooked at home, the yellow, crumbling pages of J.B. he responds. “I hope my cookery’s and a 19th-century hot pot.” horrified if they knew how much salt from stew to steak and kidney pie and Reboul on bourgeois French cookery robust and refined. Refined in the He refers to A Catalan Cook Book by chefs use.” , and which focuses on ‘My philosophy is to make (one of his favourite books) to sense of paring things down. But with Noel Davis. “It’s basic Catalan cooking, Leigh enjoys cooking at home. He’s the ingredients Britain grows best, Simon Hopkinson (a friend) and strong, clear flavours.” His signature like roast partridge with picada ∞ an twice married and has three children from sea kale to quinces and wild sea proper plates of food and to two huge volumes of Mastering the Art dishes are a much-plagiarised chicken aromatic mixture of garlic, peppers, living with him. “We don’t entertain a trout ∞ for which he gained a Guild of of French Cooking ∞ due to be returned and goat’s cheese mousse with olives, nutsand almonds which they fry up lot. But I cook for my wife two or three Food Writers Award. make simple things good. It’s to Kensington’s Central Library in and scallops with pea pure´e and mint briefly and add to the stew at the times a week. I find it relaxing.” On He has won the coveted Glenfiddich 1978. vinaigrette. end. It’s the spirit of place that Sundays he’ll often do roast chicken Award for the quality of his newspaper what you leave out of the In 1977, aged 27, he was broke and “I come from the Elizabeth David inspires me.” with roast potatoes. “I’ll chuck in writing. He also owns one of London’s picked up a copy of the London Even≤ school. I’m a middle class guy who got Another book that fires his imagina≤ something playful that makes the chil≤ leading wet fish shops. And his cook≤ food that makes it special’ ing Standard. It contained an advertise≤ into cooking and wanted to demystify tion is The Food of Italy by Waverley dren throw up their hands in despair. ery has had an enormous influence on ...... ment for a grill chef at Joe Allen, the it. My philosophy is to make proper Root. “In Calabria, they do mussels Something like onion squash with gastro-pubs. producers.” He supports farmers’ mar≤ American diner in Covent Garden. “I plates of food and to make simple with garlic and a bit of tomato. In spring onion and chilli or with fennel His driving force is the seasonal kets, small producers, small butchers’ thought, ‘I’ll try that.’” What drew him things good. Every chef quotes Escof≤ Liguria, they do them with basil and seed and sage. That’s quite experimen≤ ingredient. “The last two or three shops, fishmongers, greengrocers, deli≤ to cookery? “Greed and poverty.” He fier’s ‘fait simple’. But I really cream. I’m turned on by places with a tal for me.” He pauses. “The problem is months I’ve spent cooking cabbage,” he catessens and buying by mail order or began at Joe Allen and loved the believe in refining and simplifying. It’s strong regional identity.” Leigh, the some cooks are not in love with food. laughs. “And I’ve been doing lots of through the internet. drama of the kitchen. He started what you leave out of the food that third of four children, is the son of My problem is that I love food too different lamb recently ∞ from the “Personally, I shop at Notting Hill devouring cookery books. makes it special.” He has never fol≤ Robert, a businessman and farmer. much.” almost gamey Herdwick Northumbrian farmers’ market and Damas Gate, a In 1979, he applied to Roux Brothers lamb to baby lamb from the Pyrenees.” brilliant Syrian grocer in Uxbridge ∞ Albert Roux was then Britain’s lead≤ He is looking forward to indulging Road who does halal meat, amazing ing chef ∞ and commenced at Le Poul≤ his hobby horses in the Financial spices and pulses.” He’s also interested bot in the City. Three weeks later, Times. “It’ll be exciting to pursue in the difference between urban and Leigh was fired: Roux had been in the excellence. To write about golden beet≤ country fare. “In the country, people restaurant and noticed that Leigh was root from a tiny organic farm, truffles, have milk, bread, pheasant and hunks unable even to turn a potato. “I or Middle White pork ∞ which is only of meat in their freezers, whereas appealed to Albert to let me stay.” available by mail order,” he says, townies have ice cream, chips and fro≤ Roux transferred the determined young sipping a glass of Mosel Riesling. zen peas,” he remarks. “Townies chef to Le Gavroche. There Leigh grad≤ “And I’ll probably be doing things with regard pheasant as a luxury ∞ but uated to run the patisserie, butchery

COOKERY ROWLEY LEIGH Steam, saints and scallops It’s the part of the scallop we eat – surface of the flat top stove. The you tend to become a prisoner of the powerful adductor muscle, thing sizzled, I turned it over out of your own success. It was with this which opens and closes its shell – curiosity and seared the other side sense of frustration that I came up that is responsible for its extraordi- and then, with the Pooh-like with the idea of putting scallops nary athleticism. While oysters and curiosity that rather characterises together with Jerusalem artichokes mussels cling, crabs crawl and my approach to cooking, I had to rather than any sense of religious prawns swim idly with the tide, eat it. It tasted good: it was crisp fervour and yet the dish does con- the scallop jumps off the sea bed and caramelised on the outside, tain some curious affinities. A with the alacrity of a startled very tender in the middle and both Jerusalem artichoke does not real- snipe. That beautifully fluted shell, saline and sweet all the way ly have any connection with flat one side and rounded the through. Jerusalem – the word is a corrup- other, is a brilliant piece of aerody- I played around with these seared tion of girasole, which indicates its namic engineering that helps the scallops and various combinations relation to the sunflower “but a bivalve hurtle through the ocean of ingredients until I came up with Jerusalem artichoke soup is a depths alarmingly quickly. the idea of marrying them with a crème Palestine and we should not This muscle is an incredibly purée of fresh peas (I now use let pedantry get in the way of a strong piece of meat, as anyone frozen) and a vinaigrette made by good story. The first bishop of who has attempted to prise open a emulsifying old-fashioned English Jerusalem was the apostle Saint live scallop will attest. Despite for lamb with some James. On his death his body their evident muscularity, I was sunflower oil. It worked and I had rather miraculously turned up off always taught to treat scallops a hit on my hands: the dish has the coast of Galicia on Spain’s with the utmost circumspection. been so popular at Kensington Atlantic coast, borne on a horse They were considered incredibly Place for a number of years that covered in scallop shells. The near- delicate members of the marine now I would not dare to take it off by town became Santiago di corps that had to be mollycoddled the menu. The trouble with a sig- Compostela, and the scallop with steam and cream rather than nature dish is became associated with the saint. bullied with fierce heat and Throughout the middle ages, strong flavourings. Santiago became the ultimate I adhered to this until destination of the pilgrim and one day, while dropping the scallop shell his emblem. In some scallops into a America the scallop is sometimes courtbouillon – called the pilgrim scallop. Just to coquilles St. complete these little coincidences, Jacques à la nage one of the principle starting points to give its proper for the Santiago pilgrimage was monicker – I Le Puy, the home of a rather old- dropped one of fashioned sauce called aillade. the blighters directly on to the [email protected]

SEARED SCALLOPS WITH JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE PURÉE AND AILLADE (FOR FOUR) Ingredients water, place them in a small on a plate then briefly under a hot very hot. Place the scallops in a bowl 400g Jerusalem artichokes saucepan covered in cold water grill until the skins start to blister and season them well with salt and 75 ml double cream with a generous pinch of salt, bring and burn. Place them in a sieve, pepper. Add the melted butter so 2 large tablespoons unsalted butter them to the boil and then simmer cover with a cloth and rub them that each scallop is very lightly coat- 2 tablespoons hazelnuts for 20 minutes or until perfectly vigorously to remove their skins. ed. Place half the scallops, with no 2 cloves garlic tender. Drain the artichokes very Pick out the resultant peeled nuts. additional fat or oil, face down on 1 lemon thoroughly and return them to their Peel the garlic and pound it in a the very hot surface and leave them 1 tablespoon chopped parsley pan and to the heat. Turn the arti- mortar with a pestle and half a tea- to sear for a good minute. Turn each 1 tablespoon hazelnut oil chokes with a wooden spoon to spoon of Malden sea salt until it is scallop over – they should be a rich 2 tablespoons mild olive oil remove any residual moisture mashed to a purée. Add a generous golden brown – and repeat the 16 plump scallops, preferably dived before pouring in the cream. Boil milling of pepper and the hazelnuts. process on the other side. Remove rather than dredged. the artichokes briefly in the cream Pound these until they are coarsely them to a hot plate, wipe the pan until it starts to thicken before turn- chopped. Add the finely grated zest with a paper towel and sear the Method ing the whole ensemble into a of the lemon and all of its juice and remaining scallops. ■ Peel the Jerusalem artichokes, blender. Liquidise the mixture until then the parsley and the two oils. ■ Place a large mound of the hot preferably with an econome-style completely smooth and then return Taste for seasoning. Jerusalem artichoke purée on four of potato peeler. This is a fiddly to the pan again. Season with a lit- ■ Rinse the scallops very briefly in plates and arrange four scallops and tedious job but must be done tle salt and milled pepper. cold water and then dry them on around each one. Spoon a little of in order to produce a fine, silky ■ Melt the butter very briefly in a kitchen paper. Heat a large, heavy the vinaigrette around the scallops purée. Rinse the artichokes in cold little saucepan. Place the hazelnuts flat pan or a ridged griddle pan until and serve immediately.