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Posts Tagged ‘Marcus Wareing’
The World of Marcus Wareing
Monday, November 1st, 2010Marcus Wareing’s Tips For Easter
Friday, March 26th, 2010
Easter this year also signifies the beginning of spring, which in the culinary world means we say goodbye to the rustic and earthy produce of winter and see the beginnings of such wonders as new season lamb and Jersey Royal potatoes. The countdown to wondrous British asparagus and strawberries is also gaining momentum!
Over the Easter weekend, the perfect Sunday lunch should take precedence; a slow roasted leg of lamb smothered with a roughly blitzed mix of 1 bulb of garlic, ¼ bunch of rosemary and thyme and a generous dash of sea salt. Roughly chop into large chunks 2 onions, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1 leek and 1 bulb of garlic; brown together in the roasting pan until golden then place the leg of lamb on top and bake at 140°C for 2 hours. Remove the lamb and cover in tinfoil then use the roasting juices and vegetables to create a flavoursome gravy to accompany the succulent roast – just add the stock of your choice (chicken or vegetable) and season to taste then strain and serve with a bowlful of steaming Jersey Royals.
Rhubarb is also still in season at Easter time – the forced Yorkshire variety is a beautiful colour with just a slight tanginess and fantastic flavour. Perfect for crumble or a fool to end your luscious lamb roast with!
A great task for you and your children to accomplish over Easter is homemade marshmallow Easter eggs. Take a deep tray and fill with flour then using a fresh egg, stamp out half egg shapes in the flour. Make a basic marshmallow mix (see below) and place into a piping bag. Pipe into the egg indentations then leave to set. Once set remove from the flour, brushing off any excess, and place a small half spoonful of raspberry jam in the centre of half of the eggs. Place another half egg on top to form a whole egg then dip in your favourite melted chocolate; place on parchment paper then in the fridge to set. Wrap in foil once set for a real Easter treat!
We are opening for lunch on Easter Saturday so do come and join us and sample some of our seasonal fare.
Marshmallow
2 free range egg whites
250g caster or granulated sugar
100g water
12 leaves gelatine
Drop of pink food colouring (optional)
Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft, drain off the water and keep the gelatine in the fridge. Bring the sugar and water to a steady boil for 4 minutes. Meanwhile whisk the egg whites on high speed until thick, then pour the boiling syrup into the mix and add the gelatine immediately. Allow to whisk until mixture is thick and fluffy.
Marcus Wareing’s Valentine’s Tips
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Britain’s most acclaimed and well-loved chef Marcus Wareing is one of the few two Michelin-starred chefs who is actually at his restaurant in the Berkeley and on the hot plate himself. This Valentine’s Day will be no exception, as Marcus cooks up an exciting and impressive array of delectable romantic treats. Here’s some advice from the great man.
This Valentine’s Day, why not try something a little less clichéd than usual? Homemade sweets are a novel and great option for your loved one, (see my book Nutmeg & Custard, the Sweet Shop chapter) such as Turkish delight, or even chocolate eclairs. Buy a beautiful glass jar (LSA have some stylish ones) which allows them to have something to keep also.
If you are not feeling quite so adventurous in the kitchen then you can’t beat a great selection of artisan cheese and accompaniments (like quince paste, oat cakes and muscatels) from La Fromagerie cheese shop. Accompany these with a bottle of Sauternes and you have a great early supper.
As far as champagne goes why not opt for a beautiful rose like Billecart Salmon Rouge NV, with its bubbles of slightly sweet, crisp and aromatic goodness. For an alternative try a sparkling white from Cloudy Bay in New Zealand called Pelorus, which is a touch lighter than your traditional Champagne but flavoursome and citrussy, making a nice change.
Given Valentine’s is on a Sunday this year make your loved one a great breakfast (or brunch!). Beautiful pastries from Poilane bakery, fresh Monmouth coffee, free range eggs and Ginger Pig bacon – perfect!
To book a table at Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley or to find out more about Marcus please visitwww.marcus-wareing.com or call +44 (0) 207 292 1200 to make a Valentine’s reservation.
2010 – The Year Ahead In Food
Monday, January 11th, 2010
2010 is finally upon us, and is promising to be a good year in food. Towards the end of January, we do of course have the Michelin lists for the UK to look forward to, and the results will be as eagerly anticipated as ever. Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester is hotly tipped to upgrade from it’s “Rising Three” star status to become the second London venue to hold three stars. Apsley’s, under the guidance of Heinz Beck, is also tipped to receive recognition – from my own dining experiences at Apsley’s this will be a very well deserved award if successful. There are always a couple of surprises and it will be very interesting to see what’s in store for this year.
Moving on, 2010 promises some fantastic openings around town, such as the imminent launch of Gordon Ramsay’s Petrus, which has only existed in name since Marcus Wareing took over the helm at the Berkeley some time ago. Likewise, the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, featuring restaurants by highly acclaimed Brit superstar Heston Blumenthal and the 165 seat Bistro from NY super chef Daniel Boulud, promises a double delight for destination dining.
The French remain masters, and so Roux at Parliament Square, a new restaurant from Michel Roux Jnr in the Grade II listed premises of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. will provide an interesting option. Panoramic views over Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament, on top of the great cuisine, will enhance its status as a true destination restaurant.
Looking to the East, a second branch of Hakkasan in Mayfair is certainly a bold move. However, given the success of the two Nobus in such close proximity, it’s not such a bad idea. A relaunch of the short-lived but popular Kyashi on Upper St Martins Lane will offer a sushi bar under the watchful eye of chef Jacky Yu, as well as a more formal dining area with a champagne bar on the mezzanine level for some chilled drinks.
There is plenty more to come, including the long-awaited relaunch of the Savoy Hotel and its restaurants. Considering all this, it may just be time to get that cheap gym membership in place so that you can enjoy the boundless amount of culinary delights in store.
Fin de siecle
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
It occurred to me the other morning that not only are we heading to the end of another year but also the end of the decade. The “noughties” for me seem to have passed pretty damn quickly and it seems to me rather like the next decade is going to go just as quick. The end of this decade also signifies a 10 year milestone of my work on the restaurant scene, including nearly eight years at Quintessentially.
Looking back over the decade, the restaurant scene has evolved in a fascinating way. When I started, Jamie Oliver was a little known trainee, and Gordon Ramsay, the ex-head chef of Aubergine, was just beginning to make waves on the restaurant scene. Fast forward ten years and Jamie Oliver has become a huge success and gathered a reputation as a crusader for food education. His series Jamie’s School Dinners caught the attention of the Government and creating a huge amount of publicity at the time.
And Gordon Ramsay is, well, Gordon Ramsay. Although his star has slightly faded in the past year, there’s no doubt that he remains a highly astute businessman, a genuinely iconic public figure and a hugely talented chef. Expect 2010 to see a resurgence. We should also expect to see his one-time protege Marcus Wareing, another incredibly able chef, become as much of a household name as his mentor; his restaurant at The Berkeley is often described as the best in London, most notably by Harden’s Guide.
We’ve also seen Marco Pierre White reduce his empire quite drastically, along with John Burton Race. Pierre Koffman also retired, taking La Tante Claire along with his delicious signature dish of pig’s trotters and morel mushrooms with him, although he has returned briefly for his hugely successful pop up at Selfridges. Reassuringly, the current rumours are that that he will return to the scene very soon.
We’ve seen the rise of the Asian food scene with Alan Yau’s huge successes with Hakkasan and Yauatcha, Zuma and Nobu have rocked the scene for fine Japanese cuisine and A-list hang outs, and more recently the huge success of Nobu Berkeley, a mere 500 yards from its older sister, has proved that a winning idea can be replicated without over-saturation. With the arrival next year of Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental alongside Daniel Boulud, the London restaurant scene looks only to be getting even better – so all I can say is “roll on 2010!”
Bryn Williams- London’s next big thing?
Monday, December 14th, 2009
Bryn Williams shot to fame following his success in the TV series The Great British Menu in 2006. He has worked in a number of top London restaurants for the last 12 years, and is currently head chef and proprietor of the Primrose Hill institution, Odette’s. We caught up with him to discuss his career to date.
You took over as proprietor of Odette’s just over a year ago now. How has the first year been for you?
Going from a chef to a restaurateur you become a businessman overnight. Suddenly you have to think about the bigger picture outside the kitchen. The credit crunch hit literally weeks after I took over at Odette’s and after a couple of weeks I thought I was crazy. As a chef already doing 17 hour days I didn’t think it was possible to work any harder but when you are in charge you start to notice every detail, every light bulb.
How does the iconic status of Odette’s affect your decisions?
I owe a duty to the restaurant and its name. Lots of big chefs have worked here over the years. This place has heard some phenomenal stories; if the walls could talk and you made a book from what they had to say, you could make millions.
How do you feel about being a ‘celebrity chef’? What do you think about the term in general?
I don’t like the tag ‘celebrity chef’. Today anyone on TV gets called a celebrity, but I don’t think there are many celebrities who work 8am to midnight six days a week all year. Chefs use television programmes to advertise themselves, to bring people to their restaurants and to inspire people to cook.
You won the Great British Menu and cooked for the Queen, what do you think about competitive cookery programmes?
The Great British Menu was a very lucky break; it was my five minutes of fame. It was such a great opportunity to have five million people watching you. People say that the competition really turned my career around, but that’s so untrue. Nothing happens overnight; you have to put all your efforts into getting to the best place possible by yourself.
Who were your main inspirations?
Marco Pierre White. He’s a great chef, one of the greatest of his generation. Working with a world class chef is a great learning experience. You just have try to absorb as much knowledge as possible, and tap into their way of thinking.
What do you think of the restaurant scene in London?
London has one of the best selections of restaurants in the world. Personally I like Japanese. Roka on Charlotte Street is great. But I’m as happy going to an Indian on Brick Lane or to somewhere like Marcus Wareing if I’m looking for a great experience. I come away from there inspired to do something new on my own menu.
What are your plans for the future? Anything special planned for Christmas and New Year?
On New Year’s Eve we have a special eight course menu. On New Year’s Eve most of our customers have their dinner, head up Primrose Hill and watch the fireworks all over London. The atmosphere here is really fantastic.
At some point, I’d like to open somewhere in North Wales, a good pub- but not a gastropub- somewhere serving proper food like fish and chips and pies. One day I’d also like another restaurant in London as well but not necessarily a fine dining one, but I need at least another 12 months at Odette’s making sure everything is working at its best.
I’m hoping to get some kind of holiday over Christmas, I’ll probably go diving somewhere. At work I’m constantly dealing with people for over 12 hours every day, there’s always someone who wants my attention. That’s why I love diving, when I’m under water no one can talk to me.
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