Beetroot

Such a striking vegetable with an amazing taste that can be used in so many different ways, including desserts. 

So we all know the good old common beetroot, pickled and served with stovie's (Scottish dish a real winner) or in a risotto.

All very nice but the vegetable can be used for so much more than just that, you can do a carpaccio, jelly, cure fish in it, make ice cream. It goes well with meat, fish, and chocolate. On the hotter days we serve it with mackerel and oysters, when it gets cooler, whipped goat cheese, ginger bread and walnut dressing.

There is also more interesting types out there, at the restaurant we use golden, chioggia also known as candy, Cheltenham and baby beetroot.

Beetroot is right in season at the moment so its a good chance to play around with it. I will keep you posted.

Souffle

Souffle's can be a nightmare if you get them wrong. I would know.

Working in kitchens you start at the bottom and work your way up the ranks , and I went down the pastry road. I soon learned that souffles were not easy, it's that point when you have the head pastry chef screaming at you, you open the oven door, your heart sinks, you really want to die, the other desserts are ready and you f***ed the souffle. I went through a bad patch with souffle's- they were my enemy.

Now I am a bit older and wiser some say confident, I really enjoy doing them. There is just a few rules to souffle's that I wish I had learned sooner.

1- Always have your moulds well buttered and sugared.
2- Whites at room temperature are best.
3- Don't over whisk the whites (they will get that separated look) throw them out and start again.
4-Work fast and clean (sounds obvious but you will be amazed to how much of a pickle you can get in)
5- Test one before service (the most important one)

I still get that fear and panic feeling when I have a big job on though, 20+ souffles in the oven the first glance to see how they are getting on, gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

The recipe I use now is different from the old school creme pat style made to order. This one can be made before service and last all the way through.

The recipe holds so well that you can do a double souffle like blackberry and apple, one half deep purple and the other half white looks very cool and tastes great

Souffle recipe 

(makes 12 large ramekins)

Base:

2kg fruit puree

500g sugar

9 tbsp cornflour mixed with a splash of water

 Mix the puree and sugar together, bring to the boil, add cornflour liquid and cook till very thick like a jam, allow to cool.

 Souffle:

   600g base

300g egg white (about 10)

100g sugar

Whisk egg whites and sugar to peaks, take 1/4 of the egg white and beat it into the base, next fold in the rest of the egg white gently. Fill ramekins, tap them on the work surface to ensure you get rid of all gaps, then run over them with a palette knife to make sure they are completely flat, go around the edges with thumb, store til needed and then bake at 200 Degrees for 8 minutes to see how it is doing, they should take about 12 minutes but that is just a guideline. 

ENJOY!!

Photography by Carla Grassy

Cocktails and Dreams

Not only the name of the bar in 'Cocktail', but also the next feckin 'Wild Night', sure to be wild!

The wild nights have been a great success at Due South. On this evening we will be focusing on cocktails but not in the drink form, in food.

For example a Bloody Mary could be -"beef" tomato tartar ( marinated in horseradish vodka), yellow tomato and celery "yolk". Uri's mackerel martini, vermouth cured mackerel, Hendricks Gin compressed cucumber and dill olive oil

I have been looking in to unusual cocktails and combinations, also flavoring spirits - all very exiting.

It's going to be a seven course dinner, you can be sure to see some interesting things, liquid gels, compression, edible paper, powders dry and frozen all tasting like cocktails.

It's going to be the sort of night not to be missed, it is on the evening of the 14th July, spaces are limited, see you there.

Cocoa Loco Chocolate

Something I enjoy doing is adding different textures of the same ingredient to a dish.

For example the tomato dish I have on the menu at the moment, it is basically a marinated tomato and basil salad. I have introduced different textures to each of the different tomatoes, semi-dried, chilled consomme, jelly, marinated and dressing. It really works for this dish but I do find myself holding back a little, it could be very easy to get carried away.

One dish we are constantly working on is the texture of chocolate, hot and cold. It is amazing to see how this dish has moved on with the team, it started as a chocolate fondant, ice cream, tuile and powder.

And this is the beast now, organic cocoa loco dark and white chocolate, pave, parfait, brownie, soil, powder, oil, ice cream, milkshake which can change to hot chocolate depending on the weather.

Inspiration

This is me at home working on some things I have been thinking of.

Savoury tea, smoked bacon scone and a bone marrow butter, possibly bringing back the seashore with an iced coriander mojito, general raw ideas and working on the next wild night.