Monday 28 July 2008

3 Star Starter - Fish and Chips


It's been a while since I cooked for the in-laws, in fact the last time was a few months before I started at Leiths. They've been so supportive of my decision to change career that I really wanted to cook something a little bit special, something that I will probably never get do again due to future commitments to the job and to the newborn. I decided to cook three dishes from restaurants that currently hold two or three Michelin stars. For the starter I chose to do fish and chips, or rather a certain chef's take on the dish which at his restaurant is otherwise known as Red Mullet with a Palette D'Ail Doux and Garlic Chips. Quite frankly I think it's one of the prettiest things you can put on a piece of crockery. The wonderful colours of a vibrant green parsley coulis, the crisp red skin of the mullet, and the pale gold of the garlic chips just leap off a plain white plate.

What is this Palette D'Ail Doux of which you speak? Well it's basically a mixture of hard boiled egg yolks, blanched garlic puree, and cream. Technically it's a bit laborious to prepare due to the various stages of blanching garlic in milk several times to give it a milder flavour, the making of the egg yolk paste, and then the freezing, crumbing and refreezing of the final palette. When cooked though, it acts as a lovely rich, crispy plinth for the two fillets of fish and garlic chips. Any guesses as to the chef who originally created the dish and the restaurant it has been served in?

11 comments:

James said...

You've been all the way to France to do your laundry again haven't you.....

That's special all right!

Trig said...

Just take a look at that photo again and then run your mind back a year. That's some progress! Nuno mentioned you last time I saw him, btw.

Anonymous said...

So you think it looks good, well you should have tried it, amazing is a word that doesn't do it justice. Thanks Pete for a tremendous and much appreciated effort.
The in-laws.

Anonymous said...

Pete - I don't have your email address, so I'm commenting here. Not sure if you saw Anthony Silverbrow's post on the closure of Bacchus, but several of us are gathering for a farewell drink with Nuno Mendes next Wed night. My son Trig can't be here in London of course, but I know Nuno well so I've organised this get together (see the comments on the post above).

Good to see you if you are around at this short notice.

Pete said...

Thanks for letting me know, Mike. I'm working in Shoreditch at the moment anyway so it shouldn't be a problem to pop by. Shame Trig isn't around.

Hollow Legs said...

Cor! that looks special, alright.

Anonymous said...

Here are the photos from last night. Cheers.

Cat said...

Hi

Mmm....posh fish and chips - lovely. A far cry from poached salmon and beurre blanc.

Seems like a long time since the post Leiths 4th July celebrations at the Pacific. So, apart from impending fatherhood and this blog, what are you up to now?

Love to hear from you.

CookerOfFaith40 said...

It is Thomas Keller

CookerOfFaith40 said...

It is Thomas Keller, I believe.

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