Archive for August, 2008
When a dish is composed, we have to think about garnishes that will accompany the main ingredient.
Like many Asiatic restaurants, we serve many of our main dishes with Rice (Hom Mali from Thailand) and a few vegetable garnishes on the side.
These adornments cannot be random, they should either have a connection to the main ingredient, or have a flavour that is relevant and complimentary.
Butter and Smoked Salt sauteed Shimeji goes well with our Beef Tenderloin and Mushrooms.
Organic Cherry Tomatoes are slow roasted (for 6 hours) with Rosemary and Garlic then wrapped in blanched Pak Choi Leaves, Shallot Oil Crumbs add a welcome pungent aroma to our Duck dish.
We only use the breast for this dish, the legs are reserved for another dish and the carcasses and aromatics are used to make the sauce.
Our Summer Intern Emilie hangs the Duck which needs to be air-dried.
A few days ago, “The Greatest Show on Earth” started. Yes, I am talking about the XXIX Olympiad hosted by Beijing.
Whilst watching the wonderful Opening Ceremony, I let out a loud cheer for the 4 athletes that Laos has sent.
I read that the Lao Olympic Chief Somphou Phongsa has said that “Medal chances for our 2 Swimmers and 2 Runners were slim”, but I think that the fact that we are on the World Stage is great, and I think that we should all support our brave quartet.
“One World, One Dream“, the slogan for these games is very much true.
Ping Gai is the name given to Laotian Style Grilled Marinated Chicken. A favourite at parties, gatherings and BBQ´s, succulent pieces of Chicken are marinated then grilled and normally served with Sticky Rice.
At the restaurant I cook our Ping Gai “Sous Vide”, which means “Under Vacuum”.
Basically the marinated Chicken is vacuum packed then cooked at a specifically controlled temperature for a certain amount of time.
Because the meat is packed, it retains a lot more natural moisture than other cooking methods, which means we get a result that is more tender and flavoursome.
Before serving, the Chicken is given a few minutes in a hot pan to “crisp the skin”.
The piece we use is from the thigh, which has a good ratio of fat to meat, which also adds flavour and texture.
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Our Clear Tomato Soup is now served with chunks of Mango and “Iced”.
The soup is kept in a bottle in the freezer and removed when ice crystals form, it is then given a shake before being returned to the freezer.
It is a perfect Summer Amuse Bouche.
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Gazpacho is normally associated with Tomatoes and is a Andalucian favourite. We have been working on a Cauliflower and Mint version.
Summer. It is hot outside and even more so in the kitchens.
This watermelon caused quite a stir when it arrived.
Its flesh is a wonderful Yellow colour, and it tastes sweeter than the regular variety. In some places it is also known as the Honey Watermelon. There are also Orange coloured Watermelons available too.
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Tuna Tataki has made its way back in to our Amuse Bouche section. Elegant strips of Tuna are flash grilled then dipped in to ice water to arrest the cooking. Patted dry and sprinkled with a little Sea Salt, they easy to eat.
Here it is served with some Yellow Daikon with a smooth Avocado puree.
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It has been a busy few weeks, with a lot of time being spent on our new menu (which was released last week). What we have done is basically changed the presentation of some of our dishes, without changing the traditional cooking methods or recipes.
Our “new look” Spicy Beef.