RedRum

I am really struggling to understand the brief, it seems the chefs stuggle as well. My understanding was that the dishes had to show "excellence", in a way that Olympic athletes are the best in their chosen sport. That should mean that a dish has to be "perfect", be it using modern techiques or not. Somehow this has turned into the MG cuisine competition, and anyone who does not have a jelly, sphere or caviar is being downgraded. There are other cooking techniques that do not involve using some sort of powder to do something that can be innovative. I think Clifford's chicken main showed that. But the mentors and judges seem to want something with MG technique in every dish. Otherwise it is not called "out-there" or "innovative" or "strectchin your boundaries". Didn't they do an GBM with chef's competing on MG cuisine a couple of series ago? I like some of the cooking, but I think the unclear brief has confused the chef's. That said, whatever the brief is that dessert from last week with asparagus and olives looked awful...

Just to mention that I bought this a year ago and it works amazingly!! I think it is the definite SV tool for the home cook. At first I was worried about its accuracy (it being 4 times less expensive than the Polyscience one...) but it has been bang on so far.

When I saw the dish, with the jelly-fish like thing on the side, I thought it looked inedible. He tried to mimic Heston's Sound of the Sea. But he forgot that Heston spends a least two years before he puts a new dish up, Jonny boy wanted to recreate something like that in a couple of hours of research... Aiden's reaction when he ate the jelly was indicative that the dish was almost inedible. If that is the case, Marcus had two choises. Playing it PC and giving him a mark of 4-5, or be honest and give him what he really thought. I am glad he did the latter!

also to ask the question of the original post, you keep the filo sheet moist by just covering them with a damp towel.

I am Greek and make spanakopita once per week, myself and my wife love it. My recipe comes from grandmother. 12 filo sheets 500kg feta 1 onion 500kg spinach 2 eggs small bunch of dill (optional) teaspoon of salt, pepper extra virgin Olive oil As someone mentioned you can grate another 100grms of kefalograviera, which is nothing else than greek gruyere. I don't use it. recipe is pretty simple. saute the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil in low heat, do not brown them. add the spinach to the onions and wilt it. Once spinach is wilt, take the onion-spinach mixture off the pot and drain it in a pasta drainer. crumble the feta and add eggs (and dill if you use it) in bowl, mix. add spinach/onions and mix. Salt and pepper to taste, depends on how salty the feta is, but definitely use at least a teaspoon of pepper. I lay each filo sheet. I have a spraying bottle and use it to spray olive oil. It saves time (and calories) and most importantly does not make the pie greesy but keeps it very crunch. Alternatively you can buy the olive-oil spray from the supermarket, or brush it lightly. I am against butter and not very traditional in Greece, we use mainly olive oil because it goes great with feta and spinach, and also adds complexity, especially if you use a good olive oil. after 6 sheets at the bottom, I put in the filling, and then do the same thing to lay the next 6 sheet on top. Scrunch in the excess filo on the sides, nothing tastier than the crunch corners. Cut the pie before baking. I use an egg wash but most importantly I spray some water. It will make the crust very crunchy. cook in a preheated 180C degree oven in the middle shelf for 50mins to an hour, until crust golden. thats it! I take a big piece to work as lunch almost every day, keeps in fridge for a week.

I am no chef, but my best mate is and he did a great risotto for us at work for a function of 120 people. We know that risotto needs to be stirred continuously.. well... according to Heston, not really... I seem to agree, could not find differences between risotto stirred continuously with risotto occasionally stirred. so, what my friend did was this: after sauteing (sp??) the onions, toasting rice in a huge pot, he added 3/4 of the stock and just let the rice boil. It took 15-17. Once rice was dry he stopped cooking it, about two hours before serving. He only finished the risotto with the rest of the stock and parmesan/butter (25grms each for every 100grms of rice) before serving. OK, it was not as perfect as the one I had at Locanda Locateli in London, but it was great, everybody commented how good it was. Hope this helps and good luck

he... you should live in the UK, where many recipes call for the most inaccurate temperature known to man, the "Gas Mark"! I am Greek and grown up with metric. My trick regarding oven temperature is this: the main temperatures that you use in cooking/baking are these: 150C 180C 200C 220C 250C just learn the equivalent in F and adjust by 18F for every 10C degrees. That is what works for me. Now, the gas mark thing... don't get me started...

I like Texture and Roka

1) We have to take the bloggers "Rant accusation" at face value. We do not really know the tone or what was actually said 2)You have been extremely flaky about your description of your relationship with MW. In the blog you say he has has been friendly, then you say that it was actually once you talked to him (or something like that...) but the rest was with the D, etc etc... you are loosing credibility.... 3)Although no "harsh" words were said in the review, you implied two things: one, that the restaurant collapses when MW is not there; two, that maybe it is not worth of its two stars. these are really serious accusations, and insulting to any high-end restaurant and two star chef. If you are writing a blog, and you are make public accusations for a restaurant, be prepared for a response. just to clarify, I do not know MW, I have actually never eaten at his restaurant. But I understand a bit of a "anger" if someone who has been treated well there many times before, decides to write a review which implies that they are lazy because they do not change the menu often enough, the place goes tits up when he is not there, and that he might not be worthy of 2 stars...

I did it twice, and I have to admit I did not like the mushy meat... I like a bit of a bite in my steak. I am now using Alton Brown's method, roasting in a 120C oven until it internal temperature reaches 44-46, taking the meat out and crank the oven up to 250C, then roast the meat for 10mins for a crust. You do get medium rare-medium, similarly to Heston, but with lots more bite on the meat. That is for large cuts. For single steaks, nothing beats the McGee method of flipping every 15 seconds. I use it every day.

Has anyone seen/tested this: https://www.sousvidesupreme.com/sousVide-supreme-order.php It looks like a very good home solution! I am getting it as soon as we move to a bigger place...

the two of the most influential chefs in my life at the moment, completely having changed the way I cook and think of food. For me they are as influential as McGee, This and Heston. Some of their ideas are amazing, like the re-hydration of dry pasta, or the agar clarification of liquids. I just cook for fun at home, but some of their ideas have allowed me to create some amazing dishes. My latest triumph is a pasta dish where the pasta was re-hydrated in parmesan water. Only served it with a bit of butter, pepper and parmesan shavings, and made a chef friend of mine go bonkers. He works in Greece and the dish will soon be part of his menu! Really looking forward to the cookbook.

I have no issue with that... that is if this practice is confined to things that need long cooking like stews. Actually, if you have ever eaten a braised dish in a michelin star restaurant, the meat was cooked the day before. Leaving it in its braised liquid for a day improves flavour and it is a common practice in almost all michelin kitchens.

I wish they do roll it nationally. I am Greek and have been living in the UK 10 years now, and what the British food scene is missing is the good everyday day food for good prices. Some of the best chefs in the world work here, and it is undeniable that food culture has progressed by miles the last 15 years. But what is missing is the everyday cheap good food, where you can go somewhere and eat a nice meal for 10-12 quid per head. Here in the UK going out to eat is a special occasion to the average family, in Greece (and in most Mediterranean countries) people go out to eat almost every other day, or have quality home-style cooked takeaways. Seeing the menu on Popham they offer exactly that, a good dinning experience with low prices. Nothing fancy, steak, burgers, shanks, etc decently priced. I wish more places follow this example.

the ox cheeks and shank dish is what I fancy... I love hearty dishes like that

We have one at Cambridge 10 mins down the road. I don't know if it is going to be "Hestonised", I hope it does!

If there are 3 books that made my cooking much much better were those three: 1 and 2: the books from the Perfection series with Heston Blumenthal. You do not need to go all the way with his recipes, but taking the basic elements for these dishes make you such a better cook. I had compliments from a friend of mine from Bolognia for my rissoto. My burgers are now famous. My very picky fiancee now admits defeat on the issue of bolognese sauce. My mexican buddy loved my chili. I can boast that I make the best pizza dough this side of Europe (though my recipe is a hybrid between Heston's and Alton Brown's excellent pizza dough) You know what I mean... some of the stuff in the recipes are too complicated, but you do not need to go all the way. 3. Love him or hate him, Ramsay is a great chef, and his Three Star Chef book apart from being a thing of beauty, has amazing recipes. Again... not going all the way, but the appendix in the end with the basics is a bible for me in regards to classic recipes (I am an amateur home cook mind you...). They all work brilliantly (to answer your question food1), at least to my palate.

I prefer the Stone Roses as well, but they never did 3 courses for 18 quid... If you meet the chef, tell him to bring back my Mondays!! I don't like pizza or curry that much...

I just had a look at the menu one of the restaurants I love, Alimentum here in Cambridge. The menu seems less adventurous than previous ones, but I think Mark Poynton would be able to offer great quality (as he did in Midsummer House). I still have not visited, but I am disappointed to see that they took the Happy Monday off (being able to have the Fixed price menu all day, not only until 7pm). It was a great value, we would visit 3-4 times per month to have that menu (17.50 per head for 3 courses), instead of having an order pizza/chinese/curry I think they should bring it back... I am missing the pigs ears and trotters dishes though...

great review david, really want to visit this place, it also seems like great value!!!

the point is that in true molecular gastronomy fashion licorice and salmon share a molecule, hence they should work...

baddum-tishhhhh I agree, those dishes look very scrappy...

Do you think that means "old" as in the one they recently stopped, or "old" as in the original FD menu before he went completely "molecular"....? I read it as the latter, but it could be either. ← I don't know, I read it as it will be dishes from the FD ALC before they recently stopped it. But I guess HB will bring in new dishes and as you say he might introduce pre-MG dishes. I think it should be very interesting place to visit. One thing I would like him to do is to have a "Perfection" menu with all the dishes he made for the two TV series. I know he has used some in the pub, but it would be great to taste the dishes.

One interesting thing about this article is that HB says that the a la carte menu items will be in the new london restaurant. That is a good idea I think

I don't know if this has been mentioned, but last time I visited Barcelona I had a great meal at La Flauta. Amazingly friendly staff, food very well cooked and fresh. It is a tapas restaurant. I remember that there was a line with people waiting to pick up food to take away, extending all the way out to the street! The restaurant at the back was buzzing. Prices were great as well.