Cooking for our Queen

[RDB]

Technology triumphs over tradition eh - i'm quite surprised at the judges.  i really thought they would've gone for galton

Does anyone know what the egg dish was that sat did that oliver peyton mentioned?

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Not in the slightest bit surprised. I am not sure I would class it as 'technology' though, rather more innovative modern cooking. Technology is something you use i.e. water baths, pacojet etc, not something you do. As for tradition..............

Mr Fort IMO is someone who has always had his finger on the pulse of trends in food for many years, so again no surprises. Peyton and Leith well I am not sure. To give them credit why would they chose a chef doing recreations of french cooking in a competition against the french???

The egg dish (to echo myself) is sublime I ate it last summer, you will find it below

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database...eas_85942.shtml

Nothing 'deconstructed' about it, you have an egg, ham, pea sorbet................

Ps. How do you 'deconstruct' gammon and eggs

[Duncan]

The egg dish (to echo myself) is sublime I ate it last summer, you will find it below

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database...eas_85942.shtml

Nice to see the BBC are publishing practical recipes on their website, I wonder if they even bother to read what they posted. For the ham and eggs (which at the top claims "Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour")

heat a pan of water to around 62C/143F, ideally monitoring the temperature with a digital probe. Carefully add the eggs in their shells and leave at 62C/143F for about 1½ hours

and the beef is similarly impractical to cook at home:

Transfer the beef to a vacuum-sealed, airtight bag. Heat a pan of water to 58C/136F. Put the beef in the pan and poach, uncovered, for 1¼ hours, keeping the water at a constant 58C/136F, checking with a thermometer to keep the temperature constant.

although at least in that recipe they give the following helpful tips:

Shrink-wrap the meat using a vacuum-sealing machine, then poach in a Clifton water bath, both of which are specially designed for the professional kitchen.

So that'll be a £425 water bath on my birthday wishlist then (two of them if I want to do starter and main). Somehow I can't see it.

[Matthew Grant]

With a little experimentation you might still be able to do this. Stick a pan of water in a low oven and leave until it the water temperature evens out, then stick your egg in the water for the 90 minutes required. Not so easy for the beef but you can still utilise a low oven without vac packing it, just brown the meat first in a pan and then stick into the low oven.

[Duncan]

With a little experimentation you might still be able to do this. Stick a pan of water in a low oven and leave until it the water temperature evens out, then stick your egg in the water for the 90 minutes required. Not so easy for the beef but you can still utilise a low oven without vac packing it, just brown the meat first in a pan and then stick into the low oven.

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I have no problem with sticking a lump of beef in a low oven (70-80C) for several hours until the thermometer probe registers 58C. I just don't think you could get the temperature of the water bath anything like accurate enough. Oh well, lets wait and see what other recipes the chefs come up with.

[Stephen W]

Nice to see the BBC are publishing practical recipes on their website

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Isn't the whole point of Sat's food that it should be something you can't do at home?

[Duncan]

Nice to see the BBC are publishing practical recipes on their website

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Isn't the whole point of Sat's food that it should be something you can't do at home?

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A large part, but not necessarily the whole point.

Take Heston Blumenthal as an example. His food too is something you cannot do at home, but a lot of the techniques can be used or adapted. He has published recipes which (to a greater or lesser extent) are practical in the Guardian and in his two books.

On one occasion in his Guardian column he published a complete restaurant dish, but that was an exception. It also involves a blowtorch, vacuum sealer and water bath (although he doesn't specify an exact temperature), but all the way through the recipe he tries to suggest ways to manage the same thing in a home environment:

Place the pan on a low heat and bring up to a temperature of about 70C. This can also be done in the oven, provided you are confident of its accuracy. Cook at this temperature for about six hours, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.

It may or may not be possible to follow this recipe at home, but at least it shows some signs that he has thought about how you could attempt it.

Edited April 8, 2007 by Duncan (log)

[RDB]

Duncan, some options:

A. Give up whatever you are doing and become a chef.

B. Take a trip from Oxford to Nottingham

C. Spend a lot of money and time to recreate this dish

D. Build a bridge and get over it.

..............it's only eggs.................

[Duncan]

Duncan, some options:

A. Give up whatever you are doing and become a chef.

B. Take a trip from Oxford to Nottingham

C. Spend a lot of money and time to recreate this dish

D. Build a bridge and get over it.  

..............it's only eggs.................

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A. No thanks. B. Might do. C. I prefer B. D. Better than lurking underneath with the trolls.

[Bapi]

Good to see Sat Bains doing his excellent thing in the kitchen and running rings round the apparently petulant Galton Blackiston.

If you can get past that Sat is just great to watch.

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Rather late in the day as we were away in Galton's stomping ground of Norfolk last week. Somewhat bizzarely, we were sat watching in our cottage in the tiny but beautiful village of Thornham, when the village appeared on the programme. Sat had infiltrated Norfolk to get his oysters from the Thornham oyster beds and bloody good they are too.

Agree that Sat seems like a character and I am kicking myself that we haven't yet managed to get to Nottingham yet. I suspect this television exposure may make it harder to do so. It's not so easy with a 2 year old now- but who bless him, provided one of the comedy highlights of the week. He repeatedly blurted out "Sat's got no hair" at the screen, every time he appeared.

[Gary Marshall]

Agree that Sat seems like a character and I am kicking myself that we haven't yet managed to get to Nottingham yet. I suspect this television exposure may make it harder to do so.

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we tried, if they did lunch we'd have been months ago !

I caught this contest too from the luxurious surroundsings of the metropole hotel in padstow , haven't seen anything of the series and didn't even know what the format was (luckily basildog filled me in) but entirely agree it looks like some very welcome publicitity for sat bains, who on the basis of his what he's done on telly looks a must try, a certain leeds restaurateur of my acquaintance also recommends it highly.

[RDB]

but entirely agree it looks like some very welcome publicitity for sat bains, who on the basis of his what he's done on telly looks a must try, a certain leeds restaurateur of my acquaintance also recommends it highly.

Gary from chatting to Sat in the past his opinion of a certain leeds restauranteur is well reciprocated. It is great to see his restaurant now getting some attention, and as I have mentioned previously maybe some of the national critics may pay a visit. Prior to visiting I could not find any major reviews on his restaurant and after visiting could not understand why. I remember drunkenly telling him (great beer list by the way) '...the world needs to know about this place.....' It was Katie at Juniper who actually reccomended it to me, and she has never failed me on good restaurant tips!!!

In relation to the show, it is so boring this week, both in the chef's character and the food they are preparing. Does saying things like, 'striping a dish down to its basic elements' or ' letting the flavours speak for themselves', equate to lack of imagination, talent and creativity?? One doing salmon and mussels, the other doing trout and cockles. The French will be quaking in their boots................

[Duncan]

In relation to the show, it is so boring this week, both in the chef's character and the food they are preparing. Does saying things like, 'striping a dish down to its basic elements' or ' letting the flavours speak for themselves', equate to lack of imagination, talent and creativity?? One doing salmon and mussels, the other doing trout and cockles.  The French will be quaking in their boots................

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They stepped up the originality for the next course: one did Welsh Black Beef with ceps and the other one did Welsh Black Beef with snails.

[RDB]

In relation to the show, it is so boring this week, both in the chef's character and the food they are preparing. Does saying things like, 'striping a dish down to its basic elements' or ' letting the flavours speak for themselves', equate to lack of imagination, talent and creativity?? One doing salmon and mussels, the other doing trout and cockles.  The French will be quaking in their boots................

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They stepped up the originality for the next course: one did Welsh Black Beef with ceps and the other one did Welsh Black Beef with snails.

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So things have got better, can' wait to see the desserts!!!!

[Gary Marshall]

Gary from chatting to Sat in the past his opinion of a certain leeds restauranteur is well reciprocated. It is great to see his restaurant now getting some attention, and as I have mentioned previously maybe some of the national critics may pay a visit.

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i seem to remember if we could have done lunch he'd have got a bonus national reviewer also, unfortunately he'd also have had to put up with bapi, thom and myself for an afternoon. Probably best they stick to evening service.

[RDB]

Gary from chatting to Sat in the past his opinion of a certain leeds restauranteur is well reciprocated. It is great to see his restaurant now getting some attention, and as I have mentioned previously maybe some of the national critics may pay a visit.

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i seem to remember if we could have done lunch he'd have got a bonus national reviewer also, unfortunately he'd also have had to put up with bapi, thom and myself for an afternoon. Probably best they stick to evening service.

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Oh, I was unaware you were friends with Michael Winner

[olicollett]

but entirely agree it looks like some very welcome publicitity for sat bains, who on the basis of his what he's done on telly looks a must try, a certain leeds restaurateur of my acquaintance also recommends it highly.

Gary from chatting to Sat in the past his opinion of a certain leeds restauranteur is well reciprocated. It is great to see his restaurant now getting some attention, and as I have mentioned previously maybe some of the national critics may pay a visit. Prior to visiting I could not find any major reviews on his restaurant and after visiting could not understand why. I remember drunkenly telling him (great beer list by the way) '...the world needs to know about this place.....' It was Katie at Juniper who actually reccomended it to me, and she has never failed me on good restaurant tips!!!

In relation to the show, it is so boring this week, both in the chef's character and the food they are preparing. Does saying things like, 'striping a dish down to its basic elements' or ' letting the flavours speak for themselves', equate to lack of imagination, talent and creativity?? One doing salmon and mussels, the other doing trout and cockles. The French will be quaking in their boots................

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And don't tell me, the chef's used the word "simple" at least 50 times when describing their cooking style/combinations/etc.? Something that really winds me up.

[Gary Marshall]

Oh, I was unaware you were friends with Michael Winner 

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i think we'd get on very well !

[Matthew Grant]

Crabcakes with Mayo looking like something staight off a pub menu! That'll show those pesky French!

Edited April 16, 2007 by Matthew Grant (log)

[kutsu]

They looked burned as well, hardly fantastic cooking.

[lapin d'or]

I did not see the start of this new series so can anyone tell me if the french are doing the same sort of televised regional heats. If they are I wish we could see those instead.

Jenny Bond is really starting to grate and you cannot even watch a 30 minute programme without getting a load of repeat shots and one liners - just how difficult is it to fill 30 minutes?

Jill

[JudyB]

I did not see the start of this new series so can anyone tell me if the french are doing the same sort of televised regional heats.

No, this is exactly the same format as for the Queen's banquet with chefs "from" Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the various English regions.

[lapin d'or]

Thanks for the answer JudyB, I hope it gets better as it goes along.

Jill

[Matthew Grant]

Jeremy Lee is doing really well isn't he, burnt the potatoes (twice) and then threw away his meat juices!

I was wondering why he seems to like serving the accompaniments on side plates but then I realised he worked at a Conran restaurant where sides cost extra

Edited April 18, 2007 by Matthew Grant (log)

[RDB]

Jeremy Lee is doing really well isn't he, burnt the potatoes (twice) and then  threw away he's meat juices!

I was wondering why he seems to like serving the accompaniments on side plates but then I realised he worked at a Conran restaurant where sides cost extra

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His end dish looked like some of the worst examples you see on MasterChef goes large, as did his crabcakes.

I have a sneaky feeling that Nick Nairn is actually being overly kind to Mr Lee, as he realises the man is maybe out of his depth, namely being able to cook. Obviously chosen for his personality as opposed to being the cream of Scottish cooking.

[Andy Lynes]

I've really enjoyed this week so far -highly entertaining stuff. I'd definately use that crab cake recipe and I thought Jeremy Lee's beef dish looked awesome. I think Nairn won the fish course simply on the basis of it being edible in the context of a four course meal.