Catalan creme with lavender
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
“This classic Spanish desert is similar to its French cousin, crème brûlée; a simple yet impressive dish that features an element everybody loves - the caramelized, sweet surface begging to be cracked, with a gooey custard beneath it.
Catalan Creme can be prepared well in advance and is ready to be served as soon as the sugar is caramelised on top.”
Oxtail Ravioli
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
Leftover oxtail stew makes for a good lunch. It can also be the first step towards an impressively daring yet easily replicable dish.
“The genius of this dish is that it is pasta, stew and soup all in one. Every now and then, as a cook or chef, you want to pull out all the stops and really impress your guests. This dish is ideal. It may seem complicated and demanding, but is in fact just an assembly of individually straightforward elements.”
Seafood stew
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
Using the freshest ingredients and seafood is crucial, while making the broth a day earlier is less crucial than beneficial. This will allow the flavours to become acquainted overnight. Adding saffron will give the dish something special. Mop up the juices with a robust slice of toasted ciabatta or focaccia.
“The beauty of this dish is that when you’ve got a good broth going you can just lob all the seafood in.”
Gnocchi with mushy peas, broad beans & mint
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
Gnocchi may not be the heavy and complicated pasta it is often mistaken for, but this northern Italian staple does demand a bit of patience and practice. It is well worth the effort. As essential as patience is caution - too much dough will make the finished products resemble competition standard squash balls; too little and you’ve got baby food.
Ostrich steak tartare
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
Raw meat, raw egg and a variety of pungent ingredients makes this the marmite of meat dishes - you’ll either love it or hate it. We’re using our wonderful South African bird, the Ostrich. The meat is sweet, tasty, lean and full of iron and protein. With this tartare as with all of its siblings, it is best to use the fillet or the sirloin. Dice the meat finely with a sharp knife lest you mince the goodness out of it. Texture is half the game with this dish.
Octopus, Cherry Tomatoes & Capers
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
Tender pieces of char-grilled octopus, beautifully ripe cherry tomatoes soaked in shallots and vinegar, topped with capers, parsley and a good glug of olive oil. Nothing short of a masterpiece. If Paul the clairvoyant octopus was still alive, it is likely he’d insist this was how he met his end. The tender, fleshy meat is perfect for handling strong, bold flavours but here, as ever, the chef’s mantra that less is more rings particularly true.
Tea Infused Pig Trotter Terrine
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
The idea of eating the feet of any animal, let alone a pig, may seem outlandish. However, the unused and cheap cuts of any animal are often the tastiest, most versatile and, crucially these days, the cheapest and most sustainable. Enter the pig trotter. We’re using the trotters in a light, summery terrine. A good terrine says a lot about the place you’re eating in and its chef. It takes time, fresh ingredients and a palate that can command a good, confident mix of simple flavours to create this classic.
Classic Gazpacho
by Andrew Kai
pic Andrew Kai
Conventional eating habits tell us the idea of cold soup is wrong. Soup has to be hot. Certainly, nothing beats a steaming bowl of hearty soup on a cold winter’s day. So why not vice versa? The beauty of chilled soups is that they can be made with the freshest of ingredients, in no time at all and served at the drop of a hat. The saving grace of a dinner party is extra time. Drink, socialise, tell your one reliable joke, all without worrying about your starter going cold, because as it happens…well you get the point.
