London Express

Chef takes Noble Rot on a non-stop tour of his favourite London kitchens. Words by Dan Keeling Photos by Elena Heatherwick

Pierre Koffmann, Kricket, Brixton, 20th April 2016

72 Noble Rot Noble Rot 73 he trouble with chef, far happier working the want to be successful you’ve visiting six of stoves than schmoozing on got to be tough, you’ve got to T London’s best young the celebrity circuit, impose your ideas. If I chefs with Pierre Koffmann Koffmann’s inspired blend of wanted something to be done is the sheer volume of fine dining and rustic Gascon a certain way, my cooks had wonderful, calorie-laden peasant food has been a to do it that way, and after, creations that demand standout fixture on the when they got their own instant hoovering on pain of capital’s restaurant scene for restaurants, they could do it causing offence. As problems over 40 years. With a the way they liked.” go it’s a good one to have but reputation as a down-to-earth Arriving in London in as Noble Rot tucks into our but demanding boss, he has 1970 to watch the French second tasting menu of the been responsible for helping play the English at rugby same lunchtime we can’t help to train a hugely successful and deciding to stay on for wondering whether today is alumni of chefs including ‘6 months’, Pierre first took a turning into an I’m A Jason Atherton, Marco job at Michel and Albert Celebrity Get Me Out Of Pierre White, Gordon Roux’s renowned Le Here-style challenge to eat Ramsay and . He Gavroche in Mayfair, rising more top restaurant food clearly takes an altruistic quickly through the ranks to than one of ’s most pleasure in helping younger become head chef of the celebrated chefs. Having generations. “I’ve got a great brothers’ next venture, begun the day with fried relationship with many of my in Bray. chicken at East London’s old chefs,” says Pierre, citing After a few years he decided Chick ‘n’ Sours, followed by Tom Kitchin and La Petite it was time to set out on his monkfish liver at Lyle’s and a Maison’s Raphael Duntoye as own and in 1977 opened lightening quick tasting menu two he’s still particularly with his first at the nearby Clove Club, it’s close to. “Tommy first came wife Annie, where he held not even 2pm and dim sum is to see me with his mum and three Michelin stars until I said to myself ‘Pierre, if you years that, in true Koffmann in there, but the food is rolling out of A Wong’s we’ve still got a good taking retirement when she keep doing that by next year style, has now turned into six. beautiful. The best of all is kitchen in Victoria like it’s connection today. There were passed away in 2003. you’ll be dead’. So I did some Our Uber pulls up outside Kricket – I admire anyone going out of fashion. As Noble also guys like Gordon and It wouldn’t be until 2009 that consulting and then Dalston’s Chick ‘n’ Sours and who opens a restaurant in a Rot crunches into our second Marco who were beautiful diners who still dreamt of his Selfridges asked me to do a we slide off its faux-leather sea container. It’s nice to see deep-fried quail’s egg we cooks. But their passion was world-famous food, like pig’s pop-up restaurant on their seats into the early morning young people starting their glance across the dining table not cooking, their passion trotter stuffed with roof for a week, which then sunshine. “One of the things own business like that. at our esteemed Gallic dining was to be on TV.” With a sweetbreads and morel turned into eight weeks. I really admire about young The worst is when you start companion, still reputation as a disciplinarian mushrooms, were finally able In eight weeks we served chefs is that they don’t go for a business with someone else enthusiastically dipping in in the kitchen (somewhat at to savour it again. “I went 3,200 pig trotters. I’ve done the most luxurious putting up the money, and and out of various assembled odds with his laid-back and travelling for a while but many other things, but I’ll restaurants,” Pierre says, you end up working for them wicker steaming baskets and friendly persona out of it) when I came back I was doing always be remembered for taking in the restaurant’s all your life. They’ve all we steel our resolve to eat I ask whether he thought nothing, getting bored,” pig’s trotters… I don’t mind,” austere urban facade. “In the started small and are onward to glory. After all, that some of his chefs were Koffmann tells Noble Rot as he smiles. Following the 1980s chefs all loved to have successful.” Opening early to we’ve only an Indian scared of him? “Of course,” we approach our first huge success of his pop-up, the best-looking restaurants, accommodate our unorthodox restaurant and a ramen he chuckles in his deep destination of the day. “I was Pierre had several proposals but that’s changed now. breakfast (Chick ‘n’ Sours is noodle bar left to visit over French baritone. “People getting out of bed at nine in from backers to set up his There is no décor at all in usually only open for dinner), the next couple of hours. called me ‘the bear’, not ‘the the morning and going for a own restaurant once more, Lyle’s, or even at The Clove we enter a deserted dining It’s no surprise that every teddy bear’. I come from cappuccino, having lunch before signing a three-year Club. It looks a little dirty room and spot chef and owner kitchen we visit really wants the Pyrenees, where they’ve somewhere and then going lease at Knightsbridge’s from the outside and you Carl Clarke hard at work, to impress Pierre. A chef’s got real bears. I think if you back home for a little siesta. Berkeley Hotel: a three don’t know if you want to go through the kitchen hatch.

Above: Ready for breakfast: Pierre ‘The Bear’ surveys Chick ‘n’ Sours

74 Noble Rot Noble Rot 75 Noble Rot: When did you bad, and I love all styles, but of the fuss and the frills and Chick ‘n’ Sours first meet Pierre? if I want to eat fried chicken I putting a new perspective on 390 Kingsland Road come here. When you eat things. London E8 4AA Carl Clarke: I got a random high quality like this, you phone call about nine months enjoy it. Everything here is PK: Everything has evolved. ago saying that Pierre nice – the salad is beautiful, 30 years ago restaurants Koffmann was coming in and it’s crunchy, it’s not over were much more traditional, nearly fell over. seasoned.” where people went to eat traditional food. Young NR: What do you think NR: Carl, there are several people were scared to come has made Chick ‘n’ Sours other restaurateurs who, to La Tante Claire in case such a success? like you, have gone from they held their knife or fork dance music into running incorrectly. More casual CC: It sounds simple, but we their own places (Layo dining is a great thing. use the best quality Paskin at Palomar, James ingredients we can find. We Murphy at The Four use herb fed chicken from a Horsemen, Luke After tucking into Carl’s farm in Yorkshire called Hill Unabomber at Volta etc). delicious house fried chicken Moor Grange Farm. The Why do you think that is? with watermelon and a side hardest thing for a poultry of green slaw, we bid our host farmer to do is to sell the dark CC: I think everyone just a fond farewell and arrive at meat because everybody grew up. It’s great that a new Lyle’s on Shoreditch High wants to buy the breasts, generation of people have Street a little before10.30am. but we really wanted to get gone into restaurants with a the best chickens we could new energy, taking away a lot Coffee please! find, so I said we’d take every leg and wing they could supply. We get our vegetables from a commune in Cornwall; these hippy new age travellers set up a farm in the 1980s, and now they’re like alchemists. An email address including explains about his journey arteries, a delicious high- the moniker ‘Carl Disco’ from DJ and dance music quality version made using NR: Do you cook fried gives a clue as to Carl producer to chef serving over the finest ingredients most chicken Pierre? Clarke’s previous career. 200 covers on a busy weekend certainly is. With plans to “Everything we do involves night. Whilst fried chicken open Clarke’s vision of a Pierre Koffmann: No, we music, food and art, and a few might not be anything new, Chinese restaurant don’t do that in France. I’m years ago I started messing especially considering the downstairs (called Chinese not an expert in fried chicken around with ideas and put on preponderence of dreadful Restaurant Syndrome) and a or Chinese or Italian food, I a fried chicken pop-up,” the strip-lit fast food shops second site in Covent Garden, keep with French cooking. affable Midlander Clarke currently clogging London’s 2016 is going to be busy for For me food is either good or Chick ‘n’ Sours.

Above: Fried chicken and pickled watermelon, green slaw with Left to right: “So…you’re after my fermented jalapeño and lime secret fried chicken recipe?” chef/ kosho, szechuan aubergine owner Carl Clarke (centre)

76 Noble Rot Noble Rot 77 Lyle’s Tea Building 56 Shoreditch High Street London E1 6JJ

Now approaching it’s second established Lyle’s as one of employing a ‘no choice’ daily birthday, chef James Lowe’s the city’s most in-demand fine set dinner menu and a clean, thoughtful cooking has dining destinations, pared-back aesthetic. Pierre and Noble Rot settle at a table with cappuccinos and 15 minutes later Lowe appears with a dish of monkfish liver with blood orange and fennel pollen that he’s just made.

Noble Rot: How many times have you been to Lyle’s, Pierre?

Pierre Koffmann: I’ve been something they wouldn’t PK: We nearly always go to very nice, but we haven’t two or three times and normally have. restaurants at lunchtime – I done ten years yet, and I always really enjoyed it. You thought maybe it was old age. don’t think anyone’s really need a special technique to NR: That’s delicious – would At lunchtime you can enjoy made it until they’ve done cook monkfish liver. Did you you serve it with a glass of the rest of the day, but if you that. I really want to do other slow-cook it like the Sauternes, like with foie gras? go at night, you leave the things as well, like run a Japanese, James? (Monkfish restaurant and you go to bed. bakery, because London liver is a delicacy in Japan). JL: Could do, it needs the I love to eat at midday. needs better bread. balance. It has to have the James Lowe: No. We acidity but it can handle the NR: With Lyle’s having now NR: Where do you think de-vein it then leave it in milk sweetness, absolutely. been open for two years, what’s makes the best bread in overnight, then dry it off and your next ambition James? London at the moment? roast it. When you roast PK: When people go to a monkfish liver you get a restaurant they want to see JL: My ambition is still to be PK: We bake our own (laughs). really fantastic dark flavour something new; they’re fed open in 20 years’ time. that tastes of roast fish. I feel up with seeing scallops on Having worked at the River JL: We bake our own (laughs). it’s a more approachable every menu. Café and St. John, you see I think Mikael Jonsson at flavour for many people, and those restaurants celebrate Hedone in does has a really nice texture, like JL: And if people come back a 20 years and think ‘I want amazing bread, but it’s foie gras. It’s a good way of lot, lunch is always different that’. Any kind of awards we different to my bread, it’s more introducing people to here. get in the first few years are airy and less sour and heavy.

Above: (left to right) James Lowe, Left: Monkfish liver with blood Dan Keeling, Pierre Koffmann, orange and fennel pollen Lyle’s, Shoreditch

78 Noble Rot Noble Rot 79 I’ve got Pierre’s Memories of PK: Time flies. Also Le fantastic. After, if what you The Clove Club Gascony up there (points to Répertoire de la Cuisine by make is just bits from Shoreditch Town Hall shelf containing a collection of Louis Saulnier. I don’t know if foraging, it’s boring. 380 Old Street cookery books), which he’s you’ve got it but it’s a small London EC1V 9LT signed twice now (laughs). book with seven thousand IM: A few companies make a recipes – it’s written for chefs fortune from selling foraged NR: What’s your favourite more than home cooks. I used ingredients now – people cookery book, besides to have maybe 400 cookery have forgotten the price of Isaac McHale is Noble Rot’s Memories of Gascony of books, but my wife got fed up things. Somebody tried favourite chef in London, bar course? with them and I gave them all charging us £90 for three none. With an effortless style to Tom Kitchin. kilos of hay, I said ‘I could get (a simplicity that is IM: My favourite is called that in a pet shop for £4, can meticulously executed, European Peasant Cookery IM: Nice! you please take that off my especially when he explains by Elisabeth Luard. Most bill’ and he said ‘it’s special his elaborate processes), The chefs look in a book and say NR: So you don’t own any hay, it’s very high quality’. Clove Club has been wowing ‘okay, what’s Tom Aikens’ cookery books now? (laughs) So where else are diners in Shoreditch’s old recipe for crayfish’ and copy you going to today? I hear Town Hall since its launch in that, but this has just got a PK: I’ve got two or three. I you’re going to my favourite March 2013. A huge fan of Hungarian goulash stew or said it’s not fair because she place, A Wong? Koffmann, McHale is Irish potato and onion stew, doesn’t want to see all these genuinely excited to have him or a Spanish rabbit dish, and big cookery books, but she’s PK: Mine too! visiting The Clove Club once it’s nice because you get bought so many books about again, and begins by inspired in a different way, dieting, how to lose weight, (After more chat Isaac reminiscing about a time you’re not just making how to live until you are 100... departs back to the kitchen, when Pierre ate at The another chef’s dish. All these shit books. and as we are due to leave for Ledbury restaurant in our next visit shortly, begins Notting Hill (where Isaac NR: What’s your favourite NR: Have you read the serving one of the quickest was working at the time), and cook book of all time NOMA cookbook Pierre? ten-course tasting menus ordered an instant rewind of Pierre? (points to the book on the we’ve ever eaten.) a desert he had made. shelf) Pierre Koffmann: Escoffier. NR: What sort of wine do Noble Rot: Was Pierre I like Escoffier because you PK: NOMA? Yes. What the you like to drink Pierre? ordering a second helping have all the recipes you want guy from NOMA has done is of your dessert a special and you can add to them; fantastic, he brought a lot of PK: If it’s good, it’s good. I moment for you Isaac? they’re basic. And the new tourists to Denmark, but his really like Château Palmer, Larousse Gastronomique is food is not what I like to eat. and someone treated us to Isaac McHale: Yeah – it was good – the old one was some La Conseillante 1996 prune kernel parfait and rubbish but the new is very NR: So you’re not so last week, which was gingerbread tuile. The pastry good. interested in foraging? exceptional. I like to be chef I was working alongside surprised by wine – when we said ‘he doesn’t care about IM: The new one is from 20 or PK: Depends on what you call came to Noble Rot I had a you, he will never know your 15 years ago? foraging. If you go out and Jacques Puffenay savagnin name’ – but I was very happy. collect mushrooms, yes, it’s from the Jura, which was

Top: Pierre outside The Clove Club Above: Isaac McHale’s cook books

80 Noble Rot Noble Rot 81 Isaac and Pierre, The Clove Club, Shoreditch

82 Noble Rot Noble Rot 83 Left: Slow poached Cumbrae oyster, beef consommé jelly, A Wong grilled cream and Beluga Caviar 70 Wilton Road London SW1V 1DE have a star, they remove a star from a restaurant who should have a star... It’s just a guide like any other guide. But you’ve got to think of the We leave The Clove Club beautiful!” Negotiating food ten courses, this time of dim view of the young chefs, they woozy and benevolent, with comas and the lunchtime sum. want to be in Michelin Pierre raving about McHale’s London traffic across town to because it’s like a bible. To homemade ventreche. “That SW1, 40 mins later we are Noble Rot: Hi Andrew. them it’s fantastic and you’ve was the best dish for me – it ushered into the tail end of a Have you been to Pierre’s got to respect that. They’ve sounds stupid, but it was bustling lunch service at A restaurant? got a star here and that’s perfection. I don’t like to give Wong, chef Andrew Wong’s fantastic – but the most scores, but I’d give it 20 out of eponymous Chinese Andrew Wong: A few important thing is that you 20 – it was absolutely restaurant in Victoria. , yeah. The first time get to cook the type of food sense of mutual respect and was five years ago, when we beautiful. I like to drink the PK: If I could afford it, I you want to eat. friendship between Pierre pretended it was my cousin’s Below: “Have you checked your very old Jura wines, but it’s would drink a glass of Trip Advisor rating recently?” and Andrew is palpable and birthday to see what they not often you find them Château d’Yquem every NR: Do you think Michelin Pierre and Andrew Wong we settle down for another would do. because they’re very hard to night before going to bed. was more important in the sell. But food can never reach past? the heights of the best wines NR: Would you brush your – something like La Tâche is a teeth afterwards? PK: When I was young I one-off of nature. I can cook never thought about well, but how can you match PK: No, I’d wait until the Michelin, I just cooked the that? morning (laughs). This food is food that I wanted to eat. beautiful – if I were a If you want a Michelin star, NR: If you could drink any Michelin inspector I’d give you don’t cook pig’s trotters! bottle of wine again, what this restaurant two stars! In the 1970s, if you wanted to would it be? have a star you had to serve NR: What do you think of Poulet de Bresse, many young chefs’ obsession sweetbreads, caviar... with Michelin stars? I’ve always cooked the food I wanted to eat and I was lucky PK: I don’t think Michelin is to get to three stars. It’s not very interesting anymore. that much different from They give a star to here. Michelin, I don’t like it, restaurants that shouldn’t but for these young chefs, they’ve got to think how they’re going to get their Left: House salami & ventreche restaurants full.

84 Noble Rot Noble Rot 85 NR: Did they lay on AW: Now that we have two AW: Yeah, they were just anything special? kids we don’t eat out very incredible. I think Chinese much, but normally we go out cuisine is changing massively. AW: I think we got ‘happy for particular dishes... dim When my parents had a birthday’ on a plate (laughs). sum – Natalie, where’s the restaurant, every Chinese You go to Pierre’s restaurant last place we went for dim restaurant in London had to learn how things are sum? (calls over to his wife, exactly the same menu. My supposed to be done. I used to who is the restaurant’s dad had three friends with be obsessed with soufflés, so manager). restaurants, one was in I’d go to Pierre’s restaurant Ealing, one was in to make sure I knew how to Natalie: We went to The Wimbledon and one was at make a soufflé. And then Dorchester. Hyde Park Corner – they people start talking about literally had identical menus. pigs’ trotters, so I thought AW: (looking sheepish, When they used to develop alright, we need to learn how chuckling) Shh! We go to this new dishes, they’d all come to make a pig’s trotter – place in Peckham called Hong round, eat the new dish where do we go to learn how Kong City, it’s kind of together, and then all three of to make a pig’s trotter? So we family-oriented. And my them would put the same dish go to Pierre’s, eat pig’s friend has a restaurant in on their menus. It’s changing trotter, and that sets the bar. Wing Yip supermarket on the though. Now you get North Circular with really different parts of China, NR: So he’s a big inspiration? nice Chinese roast meats, it’s Mongolian dishes... called Reindeer Café. I think AW: Pierre? Absolutely. the best dim sum I’ve ever NR: What do you like about What I love about Pierre is eaten was in Macau. Most Andrew’s food, Pierre? how he eats. Some chefs, they things, everyone kind of come in and they start makes the same stuff – PK: You see all the different fannying around with the Shanghai dumplings, pork styles. My wife loves eating food, they start picking at dumplings – but that was one shredded beef, but it’s usually everything, and they’re of the first places I went full of caramel. Here, it’s an always talking too much where they were actively actual piece of beef in your when they eat. Pierre just trying to create new stuff all mouth. My favourite three grabs it and gets stuck in. the time, and also one of the Chinese restaurants in Two chefs get together for first Chinese restaurants I’ve London are here, New lunch and you can overhear been to where it was really Fortune Cookie in them analysing everything... apparent that they were Bayswater, which is quite Just eat it. The first time I trying to put a little twist traditional, with nice people saw Pierre eat I was like here and there and create and good food, and Park ‘yeah, this is the way that new things. Chinois. everyone should be eating’. NR: Did that inspire you to NR: What are your favourite create dishes that are a little Right: Steamed salted duck yolk restaurants in London? more original? custard buns, A.Wong, Victoria

86 Noble Rot Noble Rot 87 Kricket Tonkotsu 49 Brixton Station Road 7 Blenheim Cresent London SW9 8PQ London W11 2EE

Next stop is a shipping gracious Will approaches haddock and the egg, unreliable. You’d call up to do NR: Where else have you With a menu that features container a short walk behind with a bowl of khichari. which is what we know as your delivery for the next day eaten recently that you like? pig’s trotter ramen, how Brixton tube, by far the least kedgeree. And that’s a classic and quite often it wouldn’t could Tonkotsu not be Pierre conventional space for an Noble Rot: Hi Will. What example of what our food come – for a day or two days, WB: I love Barrafina, that’s Koffmann’s favourite ramen Indian, or indeed any kind of was the inspiration for does here, taking traditional or two weeks – or if it did probably my favourite bar? “Emma, the co-owner, restaurant. With an this dish? recipes and modernising come, you’d get these goat restaurant at the moment. is a superb girl,” Pierre atmosphere akin to an them with British legs just thrown in with the Otherwise I stay local; beams as we enter the long, old-school street market Will Bowlby: The idea came ingredients. chickens and fish, in that heat. Naughty Piglets is always wood-lined room, and are crossed with Glastonbury’s from kedgeree. It’s kind of a It’s a real shame in Mumbai, good, Salon... In fact, I’m not warmly greeted by Emma healing fields, finding the Scottish translation of a NR: What was it like when which is half-surrounded by just saying this (honestly, he’s and her business partner of location of Kricket isn’t traditional Indian recipe you were a chef in water, that there’s a lot of fish not – Ed) but one of the best almost ten years, Ken. With necessarily very easy on a called khichari, which uses Mumbai? Was it easy to that by the time it reaches places is Noble Rot, I went several sushi and katsu first visit, but diners who do rice and lentils and it’s a get hold of good you is not in a good state. there the other day and it was restaurants called Tsuru find the stairs leading to this staple, a poor man’s food. ingredients? My favourite time there was really good – everything located in the City, the tiny place are guaranteed The idea was to take going to a fish market at 4am about it was comfortable, it partners have opened a some of the UK’s most something traditional and WB: Some suppliers were and seeing all the boats come was really nice. We’ve also successful string of Tonkotsu flavoursome Indian cuisine. familiarise it with smoked good but some were just so in and the fishermen’s wives done a recent collaboration branches in Soho, Hackney Owned and run by manager taking orders, that was with Tonkotsu. We did a and Selfridges Food Hall Rik Campbell and his friend, amazing. But the middle-class ramen for them that we sold since 2012. chef Will Bowlby (two young locals we were catering for in their Mare Street guys who look like missing didn’t want to eat local fish, restaurant for a weekend – Noble Rot: Hi Emma. members of New York band they wanted fish from abroad; Indian ramen. How’s your noodle bar in The Strokes), Kricket has Norwegian sea bass, salmon, Selfridges going? developed a passionate and stuff like that. loyal following since opening Emma Reynolds: Great – it a little under two years ago, Pierre Koffmann: We never By now we’re seven hours was a real experiment for and the pair have plans for a use farmed fish. It should be into our gastronomic both them and us. We went in second, bigger, more central banned – they don’t taste odyssey, so after taking Will’s where the old cheese counter site. We park ourselves at one nice. I’d prefer to eat a recipe for the delicious used to be, so you’d get of the Kricket’s long sardine over a farmed sea khichari, we set off for the regular customers of communal tables, and pray bass, by far – if you pan fry it, newest branch of noodle bar Selfridges coming in for their that we won’t feel obligated it’s disgusting. Fishing should Tonkotsu, just off West cheese and saying “what the to eat the whole menu as the be seasonal. London’s Portobello Road. hell is this? Noodles?”.

Kricket’s Will Bowlby and Pierre

88 Noble Rot Noble Rot 89 Chick ‘n’ Sours’ Green Slaw with Fermented Jalapeño & Lime Kosho

A few weeks in advance, Lime kosho Kewpie Slaw mix prepare the key ingredient dressing 300g mange touts, julienned for the lime kosho (a Japanese 35g lime kosho 150g kohlrabi, julienned chilli paste). 450g Kewpie mayonnaise 30g pickled ginger (chef’s 3g garlic, peeled and finely note: not the pink stuff) Fermented jalapeño chilli minced Powdered nori seaweed, to 100g jalapeño chillies, whole 40g ginger, peeled and finely serve 10g salt minced 60g buttermilk To serve, mix 120g of the Toss the jalapeños with the 50g white miso prepared slaw with just salt then tip into an airtight 45ml lime juice enough Lime kosho mayo container. Let the chillies 10ml sesame oil dressing to bind it together. ferment for two weeks in the 15g caster sugar Plate, sprinkle with a little fridge, giving them a good 3g salt powdered nori and serve stir daily. After two weeks’ chilled. NR: So both you and because an Indian restaurant ER: It’s all about seasoning, fermentation the jalapeños Once again, combine all of the Pierre have had good had burned down. I had two isn’t it? are ready to become part of ingredients for the dressing Serves 4. Selfridges experiences. Indian guys who had never the lime kosho. and purée together to make a cooked French before. PK: Yeah. I have two signs smooth paste. This is ready to Pierre Koffmann: It was We would buy trotters in in our restaurant kitchen: Lime kosho dress the green slaw. beautiful, but we worked boxes of 500, and we had to ‘the difference between good 100g fermented jalapeño seven days a week for two remove the bones from all and bad food can be a pinch of chillies months. While I was working, of them, but it was a good salt’ and ‘taste your food’. 50ml lime juice it was good, the body was challenge. 40g lime zest working, but as soon as we NR: On the basis of the 25g Maldon salt stopped my leg went. I was NR: When you come to dishes we’ve eaten today lucky because it was supposed Tonkotsu, do you normally Pierre, I’d say we’ve tasted Combine the whole chillies to be for a week, and Éric have pig’s trotter broth? some excellent food. Are you with the salt, lime zest and Chavot and Bruno Loubet up going on for any more, or juice in a blender. Purée to a were both out of work. ER: Funnily enough, when we are you done? coarse paste. (You will have first met, I made him come plenty of this paste left over, ER: No way! and try the pig’s trotter broth PK: It’s been fantastic, but I and it can be mixed with and tell me what he thought… think I’m okay! other ingredients including PK: So they both came to us soy sauce, sesame oil, miso and stayed for eight weeks. PK: It’s just good food, NR: Brilliant. I’m off for a lie and tamari to make delicious They are both very good that’s it. I eat everything – down. dipping sauces and marinades chefs, I was very lucky. All if it’s good it’s good, if it’s bad for meat, tofu and the rest were Indian cooks it’s bad. vegetables.) The lime kosho is now ready to go into the dressing for the slaw.

Above left: Tonkotsu ramen Above right: with owners Emma Reynolds & Ken Yamada

90 Noble Rot Noble Rot 91 Kricket’s kichri with smoked haddock and pickled cauliflower

For the pickled cauliflower For the haddock Add the smooth dhal and 500ml white wine vinegar 150g undyed smoked haddock cooked rice, breaking up the 500ml golden caster sugar 500ml whole milk grains as you stir, to ensure 2 whole spices (a blend of 2 bay leaves everything is coated in the cardamom, star anise or 5 black peppercorns purée. black peppercorns) 1 head cauliflower, broken Put the haddock, bay leaves Add the flaked haddock and into large florets and peppercorns in a small butter, stirring gently to pan and pour over the milk so avoid breaking the fish up At least a day before you plan that the fish is covered. Poach further, until evenly to eat the dish, prepare by for five minutes, or until the incorporated and the butter pickling the cauliflower. haddock is just cooked. melted. The dish should be Put the sugar, vinegar and rich and creamy – add a little spices in a pan and simmer Drain the fish, discarding the fish stock or water and more until all the sugar has leaves and peppercorns, and butter if it’s looking slightly dissolved. Remove the liquid let cool. Break the haddock dry. from the heat to cool. up into flakes and discard the Finely slice the cauliflower bones and skin. florets using a sharp knife or To serve mandolin and add the slices to 2 raw egg yolks or poached the cooled pickling liquid. The Finishing the dish eggs pickled cauliflower, stored in ½ small onion, chopped coriander leaves a sterilised jar, will keep for 1 green chilli, finely chopped ground black pepper up to three weeks. 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped Spoon the mixture onto 1 tsp fresh garlic, finely plates and top with egg yolks For the kichri chopped (or poached eggs, if you 100g yellow moong dhal or 1 tsp ground cumin prefer), pickled cauliflower, yellow split peas 200g cooked basmati rice, coriander and a healthy grind ½ tsp ground turmeric cooled or two of black pepper. vegetable oil 50g unsalted butter

On the day you intend to eat, Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a put the dhal and turmeric in a pan and add the chopped pan, cover with cold water onion, cooking it on a low heat and bring to the boil. Simmer until soft. for about 40 minutes, or until the mixture becomes a pulp. Turn up the heat a bit. Add (Add more water if the dhal the chilli, ginger, garlic and begins to dry out without cumin, and cook for two becoming tender.) Let the minutes. cooked dhal cool, then blitz it with a stick blender until the mixture is smooth.

92 Noble Rot Noble Rot 93